John Gibbons Last Quotations

Last year, we went to Cincinnati and played St. Xavier,

Last year, we played well against both those teams, and that gave us confidence. Now, I think we closed the gap a little bit more.

He's had a heck of a year. We knew we had something special when we saw him last September and with what he did in the Minor Leagues last year. He keeps getting better and he'll keep getting better.

He went to see team doctors in Toronto (on Wednesday). He wasn't obligated to go out there (at camp) the last few days.

He's been steady for us the last couple of years,

He's pitched great for us the last two years, so he ought to be able to throw with confidence. But it's a tough business. He's one of those guys that lives and dies with his outings because he cares so much.

I think the baseball world is not giving them as much credit as they deserve. They're a good ball club, they proved that last year, just too many outside influences affected them.

I think they all know the expectations. The last few years that I've been here, you came in just hoping you would improve on the previous year. ... This year, we made some key additions, and you add that to what we did last year, and there's some optimism.

Our pitching (staff), we haven't had a whole lot of breathing room out there. The last couple of weeks, every pitch is meaningful.

Our bullpen came up big time tonight. Gustavo struggled. He might be getting a little tired. He's closing in on that 200-inning marker. His last couple of starts, his ball has been up.

Look at the last two years. He had that collapsed lung twice, and then he broke his hand at the beginning of last year,

We even talked about it last winter, about him possibly being the leadoff guy to start the season,

When you're playing certain teams in the league, you know you've got to score. We scored five last night and then five in one inning tonight. You know you have to do that, and the pitching did a nice job. But, yeah, the add-on runs are key.

We had a great season last year, and we might be even better this season, ... We only lost seven seniors, and the seniors for this season are great. We have a chance to be right there.

It wouldn't make sense to bring him back for just the last few games.

It would be a big blow if it's something serious. We're hoping not. But I mean, even if it's nothing serious it's going to set him back. We don't know for how long. I mean, we're pulling for the kid. And if it's something serious, then we've got to make adjustments like we did last year.

I've always been a fan of the guy. He played for me in Triple-A. He's been in the big leagues the last few years. He's had some success. He's played in some tough towns -- in New York and L.A. -- So that doesn't phase him. He's not a Minor League player. He's a big league player.

Ted (Lilly) has a bad back right now, something he felt the day after his last start (March 26). So we'll give him an extra day of rest and have Josh (Towers) start the second game and Lilly the third.

Anytime he goes out there, you know you can count on him. You look at the last couple years here, and he's always won for us. But he's always been the odd man out, too. He just forces his way in there, comes out and wins. There's something to be said for guys that are winners.

Any time he goes out there, you know you can count on him, ... If you look at the last couple of years, he's always won for us but he's been kind of the odd man out, but he forces his way in there and knows how to win.

They've got a left-hander going and he's caught Bush very well, they've worked together very well the last couple of times out.

It's that same area where he had that problem last year. So he only threw a few pitches and shut it down. After you have an injury, it might just be some scar tissue.

It's in the same area he had the problem last year. He only threw a few pitches and we shut him down.

The last couple years, the injuries were costly for him, and they set him back and cost him valuable playing time at that stage of his development. It's a good opportunity. He needed a fresh start.

In the past, if he gave up a few runs early, sometimes the game would get away from him. But he's been a new guy now for the last few months. He's just getting better and better. He showed that tonight.

He's using the whole field. Last year he was primarily pull -- when he did things he was pulling the ball. He made a conscious effort to go back to using the whole field like he did when he first got here. He's a natural. He's a gifted athlete.

He picked up right where he left off last year.

All indications from the MRI are that it's nothing serious. You've got to let it calm down. He had that tendon problem last September, and of course it healed. It just flared up on him. ... In about a couple weeks, it'll calm down. So it's nothing major.

The home run he hit, when hits balls to the left side, he's usually out in front and hooking them into the stands, but he kept that one fair. I can't remember the last time I saw him hit a ball like that down the line.

You watch Ortiz the last couple years -- there's not a more clutch player out there. I don't care who you're talking about. Of course, the guy behind him ain't bad either.

You watch Ortiz over the last few years, there's not a more clutch player out there. And you can't walk him because Ramirez hits behind him.

All the umpires are going to do that. If you get a chance to get the last couple outs, they're going to try to get it in. Everywhere I've ever been they'll do that.