Ron Gardenhire Game Quotations

We know how important this game is to the Sox and everyone else and no one can accuse us of laying down.

He's going to play the game the way he always has. I did tell him, 'Yes, let's take it easy and let's try not to kill yourself.' But the bottom line is he's an athlete and he's going to be an athlete. You can't control that. He's going to play the game the way he knows how to play the game.

I tip my hat to him. I'm not trying to go against ownership or anything like that, but I've always said that players should get as much as they can in this game - because it doesn't last that long. I say congratulations to him, and now let's play baseball. That's the way he feels too.

That was a real bad baseball game by our baseball team. Missing cutoff men, missing plays, you can go all over the field. That was real disappointing. You can't just play baseball like that. It isn't taught around here.

We've got quality guys competing for spots on the 25-man roster that can fill in at many different positions. These are versatile guys that know how to play the game and defensively stack up with anyone out there. I think we'll be just fine.

We did the best we could today and the game was whatever -- it was a game. Our hearts and prayers are all with Puck and his family and we're all waiting like everyone else is to see how everything turns out. We're hoping for the best and we know it's a tough situation going on out there.

We did the best we could today and the game was ... whatever. It was a game. But this organization and the players involved here, our hearts and prayers are with Puck and his family.

We had a really bad night tonight, all the way around. That was just a lousy game by us. We got behind early and just kept adding on. We missed plays, didn't swing the bats great and just had a lousy game.

We won one game here. We didn't quit, we didn't lay down. We just didn't play great baseball here. The guys are trying. You're facing a team that's hungry.

You expect that. He's been in this game a long time. He'll do what he has to do to get ready.

Another great pitched game by Johan. Another loss for a good pitching performance.

The story has always been with him that he's a sloppy practice guy, but a good game guy. He's gotten better at his practice now, and a lot of people talked to him about that, working on some drills. He's grown up a little bit and made his presence known this year in camp.

Our thoughts and our prayers are turned towards Puck in Arizona. We all heard about this before lunch and that pretty much takes away from anything you do at a ballpark. We did the best we could do today and the game was whatever ... it was a game.

As long as I'm running this baseball team, we will play this game with respect.

As I've told him, we really have to slow this thing down. This is a thing that could come back in a heartbeat with one bad movement. He's out there just playing catch, but if you have to get in a game and wheel and let it fly, that's when something is going to happen. If he does it again, he's set way back.

That was a bad night. We played a lousy game all around.

You take the good and bad when you're talking about a power hitter. We're looking for someone who's going to hit those three-run homers and get you back into a game or blow the game open. He's a guy that has that ability.

They're playing the game over there. That's a great baseball team.

I told him, 'Don't kill yourself,' but the bottom line is he's an athlete, and he's going to play the game the way he knows how to play the game.

It was his game until he gave up a run. You don't get too many opportunities in the majors to pitch a 1-0 shutout.

I loved watching Ozzie manage in the other dugout and he manages just like he played. He had fun playing the game and he manages having fun and that's the way we should all try to do it. I think he set a pretty good tone.

He still likes baseball. He'll always ask me, 'Who's pitching today?' He always tells me the game goes in cycles -- he's right.

He always busted his tail off and had a great thing to say to everybody in the clubhouse. I can guarantee you all this, as long as I'm running this baseball team, we will play the game with respect, run the ball out and give you a show, because that is what Kirby would want us to do.

A lot of younger players didn't have as many ties, or any ties, with Puck, like some of us have. But they all still need to understand what he was all about and why we talk about him. He played the game the way we want to play the game.

The game turns. They throw a barrage at you. They have guys who can slap the ball and guys who can put it into the seats. They have guys who can do everything.