Billy Wagner Quotations

We both move forward pretty much as much as we can. But when he lets it go, you know it's coming out of his hand about three feet closer to the plate than mine.

We know how important this month is. Guys turned it up for the second game. We're going to have some tough losses, but we didn't let one tough loss turn into two.

The fans are great. They give me that extra edge.

You have to be mentally 'there.' Your talent is there, but you have to be mentally there, too.

Coaches and ownership are just like the fans on the street. They can always do it better, and they would always have done it differently when it doesn't work out.

Whenever I get into a tough situation...I think of growing up, and I say, 'This situation won't be the worst one I've ever been in.

One thing we don't want to do in emergency management or in the weather service is to go backwards. And I can guarantee you this is a step backwards.

Maybe the Yankees fans should be mad at (Bagwell). I didn't do anything. I was just a dumb rookie when he said, 'I don't like that song. We're changing it.' ... He came and told them, and so that's what they played.

If they don't get out of there, they're going to be in deep trouble.

I don't know anything about this rivalry. It seems like every team in the National League has been after them. I can't get caught up in the importance of a game in April. Games that really mean something, that starts in August.

I didn't want to go out and blow it out because I haven't thrown in about a week or so. It felt pretty good.

I'm always nervous, no matter where I'm at. I'm excited. ... I'm excited about this team.

I don't remember how I got from the bullpen to the mound.

I enjoyed it. He looks forward to it as much as I do.

He should have hit that pitch 100 miles. It was right here.

He was filthy. But when hasn't he been filthy?

I think it's a great idea. I think it's good for baseball, I really do. I just think it's not good for Billy Wagner.

I think we've showed that we have a bunch of guys on this team that won't quit. We're going to keep battling.

I think if I had an opportunity to play in New York four or five years ago, I probably wouldn't have been as receptive to it. After the trade of going to Philadelphia and playing there, I believe that's made it that much easier to handle the media, the pressures.

I think he's got a great mentality, a great situation here where he has so many leaders and experienced guys to show him. And he doesn't have to be a leader, but they're grooming him to be one. I think he's just going to be a fantastic player for a long time.

I would never have thought in an off day that the big story would be music. Involving me.

We have to pick up ground when they lose.

We haven't beaten them since I've been here, and they got to the second round since I left. I'm probably no good to anybody.

We are confident that Debby no longer poses any significant threat to the Florida Keys.

We played 160 games to have a chance to get to the playoffs, and the next two ballgames will be the most important games of the whole year. We're watching the scoreboard. We need help right now to get into the playoffs.

We're relaxed, we're not panicking and we're not getting overly aggressive when we're down.

The only thing I can think of is that they had nothing to lose and he wanted to keep him out there.

There are a lot of things you don't do, taking one step back to take one forward. You're just standing still. The Mets seem to be moving forward.

Everyone wants him to break it, but everyone wants him to quit, too. He's the best thing going in baseball.

Dude, listen to me. You're the best. It happens to all of us. It'll happen again. You have to be able to deal with it.

There's not a lot going wrong. There's just not a lot going right.

I slept the whole day and didn't budge.

It was very productive. I got some work in and I was able to do a lot of things.

I've matured a lot. You can only stay mad so long. I think (his childhood) helped me to see how not to do it the right way and to try to do it better when I get a chance.

Sometimes it's good to just be thrown into the fire, Did he even know it?

Right now, we're very confident. We're not letting one loss turn into two.

Protecting a 3-2 lead in front of a packed house, it's tough.

After you lose the first game of a series, the pressure is really on to win the next two. This team stepped up and focused and stayed consistent.

Actually, I thought I threw the ball decently. I just felt in good conscience I wasn't going to be able to turn it up to that next level. I'd say my velocity was anywhere from 92 to probably 96 mph. But that's not as consistent as I need to be to face the competition we're going to have. I couldn't in good conscience go out there and put myself into that situation.

Definitely coming from a different organization and taking a big step, I want to get comfortable and not be living out of a suitcase for the whole spring training and having my family do the same. It was a move that I felt was good for me and for my family.

And that's exciting when you know the resources and the things that they're capable of doing.

You're not going to win every game. We have to play to win series. We have to continue to stay focused and work hard.

This coaching staff has allowed us to grow. We didn't have that leadership last year. Charlie Manuel and his group have been as inspiring as they can be. Last year, guys went out and put a lot more pressure on themselves in situations like these.

They do. If you give up nothing for a while, when they do come, they'll come in bunches and bite you.

They finally caught on that this guy's for us, not against us. Charlie's a positive person. And playing in Philadelphia, it's not a positive situation. A lot of these guys haven't played under that positive influence. And when you meet somebody like Charlie, who is truly and sincerely interested in you ... it took awhile for them to kind of understand that.

This kid is destined for greatness. If they stay with him, and he's on teams that get him to the playoffs, he's the next Mariano Rivera , without a doubt. Ever see the hitters' faces when they come up to hit against him? They're just hoping to find one ball they might put in play. He needs to remember that now.

They're getting clobbered all the way up the Keys.

They're not just trying to put a competitive team on the field, they're going to put a winning team on this field.

It's just one of those stories where, to me, family comes first.

It was fun to have that atmosphere and type of enthusiasm.

I told him, 'How's it feel to be a part of the best bullpen in baseball? I know he was upset, that's what he wanted to do. But hey, you've got a chance to make us 10 times better and you've got a chance to be a part of something special. It's not a knock to go to the bullpen anymore.

It's a real honor to go there and represent your country. For me personally, I want to go out there and show that my country is the best. With the talent we have in the United States, it's going to be like playing in the Olympics.

I tried to get it up, but that's his zone. You have to make sure it's up enough.

It's not serious. We didn't want to make it worse.

It's too early to think about the standings. I don't think you can make too much out of it.

It?s too early to be silly about this stuff. It?s not that we?re not taking this seriously, but I think it?s bigger for the Braves than for us. We?re four games ahead of them.

It's not the end of the world. We'll play as hard as we did tonight, and hopefully things will turn around for us.

It's unfortunate, but that's how society is today. They want to see the big man fall.

Everybody wants to do these great stories about things that sound interesting, that could be really horrific to other people (who) really don't want to talk about (it). That's not something they think about a lot.

Everybody's got soreness. Don't make no (stuff) up.

It's in there. We just gotta get it out before it's too late.

It seemed like all roads kind of led to New York. I think it was always the Mets' ball to lose.

I've done everything I can do to be ready for it. Physically, I just don't think it's there. A lot of guys can turn it up. I can't.

I want to be comfortable and not live out of a suitcase for the whole Spring Training and having my family doing the same.

I want to be there. But if this does flare up or something, I'd much rather be out the first week of the season than be out two, three times during the season.

I tuned that all out. Obviously, there was a lot of stuff going on. But it was just a spring training game to me. It was fun for the Latin crowd.

The Mets are trying to win a World Series. I felt like this was the right place to be.

I'm excited about the opportunity. I expect great things.

I hope they allow him to go out and face that guy the next time. He might give up another home run -- but I doubt it. In fact, I'd take that to the bank. This kid is destined for greatness. If they stay with him, and he's on teams that get him to the playoffs, he's the next Mariano Rivera , without a doubt. Ever see the hitters' faces when they come up to hit against him? They're just hoping to find one ball they might put in play. He needs to remember that now.

I made my debut here in 1995. I guess it was something that was meant to happen.

I made some pitches. I just didn't make enough of them.

I'm sure I'll be treated the same way everyone else is. I'll be heckled. The fans there are passionate. They're going to think I ran to the money - which I guess they would have passed up - but I get heckled in every park. It's part of the game.

I'm very concerned about those subjected to storm surge.

I knew they wouldn't match all the Mets had done. They were still worried about age and all that stuff organizations worry about.

If Pat had gotten there earlier, I think he could have gotten something done. He didn't have much time.

I'll play catch and see where we go from there.

If you throw that many pitches, you're not doing well anyway.

I just tell them one thing -- just remember: It's their life at stake.

I just didn't feel like I was ready yet. I didn't feel like I could, in good conscience, go out and try to push myself to that next level in early March. It's something that could turn out and I could hurt myself, and that's something I want to stay away from, because I want to go out there and do what's right for me and my future.

I played against him so long, he's not a teammate.

He's the greatest player I've ever played against. For him to break it, it's good for the game.

I don't know if Philly is my first choice, but I like it enough to come back. They still have time.

I don't know, I would like to. We will see how it reacts (today) and go from there.

Gerry would be a fine fit in Philadelphia. I know Gerry, and I know what he's capable of. He's one guy that can go out there and get things done. He's fantastic, and he'll go out there and find that piece that's missing to get you over the hump.

Gerry is a solid baseball man. He knows what he's doing.

I don't want to go up there and be a bad apple. I'm just not a very good spring pitcher. I don't want to hurt my team by going out there and not being as effective as I want to.

He's not the old (Bonds), but he can still hit. I still think he's the best player I've ever played against or seen. He's at about 85-90 percent, but he's better than any baseball player out there.

He's not the old Bonds, but he can still hit.

The guy who has stood out as being special is Howard. You don't walk in and just replace Jim Thome, but you can't possibly do any better than he has.