Pitching Quotations | Page 4

From a pitching standpoint, we need to contain the other team. We need to keep the ball in the park and give our defense the chance to make some plays. If we can do that, then we'll be just fine.

From a pitching standpoint, I'd like to see him get down there and get back on the horse, see him getting the ball. It's been unlike any year he has ever had in professional baseball. He's had to make a lot of decisions.

From a pitching and defensive standpoint, we played well enough to win. We just have to start taking that lump out of our throats offensively.

Fullerton is just like us, in that their first area of concentration is pitching and defense. I think they are an Omaha team. I don't think there is any question about it.

From the first day of the playoffs the pitching always has been good.

I don't think anybody did. We have too many days off and too many pitchers -- 15 were pitching for this team. Luckily I think we still have time in Spring Training to be ready.

I don't think he was as sharp as he's going to be, but for pitching against a team that hits the ball well, he battled through it. He did a good job of changing things.

If all the stars line up, we're going to have a pitching staff that's a lot better than it was last year.

If a kid doesn't live up to it, you could have a problem with him losing confidence, and then it's up to the veterans and the pitching coach to step in and not let that happen.

I don't want that play to be the main thing. We got some great hitting lately, good pitching all the way through; let's not make a big issue out of that one play.

I expected we would be able to compete during this first week and get ready for the season, but I'm certainly very pleased. I can't say that I'm surprised. We certainly know we have a long way to go and a lot of work in front of us, but they are playing nice and relaxed and are having fun. We've been getting great pitching and timely hitting, and extremely strong defense.

I enjoy talking pitching and talking baseball. And I don't have all the answers. I don't claim to, but I'm more than happy to share my beliefs.

I enjoy pitching the big games, I enjoy the pressure,

I don't think it's anything we wouldn't have done anyhow, to be honest with you. We've been in contact with every one of the organizations and each one of the pitching coaches as to where their guys are at and what they would want them to do. I would be very surprised if we even came too close to any of the pitch counts.

I don't think it's anything at all serious, but there's no sense in pitching him.

I don't think it should set off alarms. It sends a message that we're trying to get our best pitchers to eat as many innings as possible. That's the message we're sending to our pitchers. We've got to get our guys who are pitching the best to pitch the most.

For two years he's been absolutely lights out, under the radar, and I think that's fine with him. If he keeps pitching like that, he won't be a secret much longer.

For me, where I'm really going with it right now is he's just not pitching well right now.

He's had English-speaking guys on his pitching staff for 11 years. It's just he hasn't had to do pre-scouting reports with them before.

He's had a lot of success pitching in international competition, and that gives him an edge. I met him in Baltimore during their first series, and sitting on the bench with him before the game, I was impressed with his composure.

He's had a good spring. Coming into Spring Training, I didn't have any expectations for him, because he didn't have a good 2005 season, and didn't pitch particularly well in Puerto Rico. He exceeded my expectations, because he wasn't a guy who would've even been considered for somewhere in the pitching staff.

He was disappointed. If he continues to pitch the way he's pitching now and stays healthy, he's going to have a lot of chances to throw shutouts. I think this late in the season, better safe than sorry is the way to go.

He was cruising along and pitching really well. He just made some mistakes with pitches and the hitters hit them.

He understands the importance of pitching. And the amount of pitching and the quality of pitching we got.

I always say you're a good coach when you have good players, ... We have a pretty good pitching staff, it's easy to go coach that one. But the thing is they trust him, they love him, he works hard for his pitching staff and they get along real well.

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 (Woolf) can be dominant when he's throwing like that. When he's pitching well, he's the guy that we saw tonight.

He was unbelievable. He's pitching great. Now he's starting to get comfortable and get into the flow of the game. When he came over, he hadn't pitched that many innings. Now he's getting into a groove and really commanding the inside part of the plate.

He was unbelievable. He gave us the start we needed. (John) Lackey was pitching great and Shawn matched him zero for zero. For his first postseason start, you can't ask for more.

He was unbelievable, ... He gave us the start we needed. (John) Lackey was pitching great and Shawn matched him zero for zero. For his first postseason start, you can't ask for more.

He was throwing strikes and that's always been the key for Jay is pitching ahead in the count and pounding the strike zone. That's what he did. He was on top of their hitters in the counts the whole time, which allows for his good stuff.

He takes his time with everybody, does everything a pitching coach should do. If you're doing something wrong, he'll wait until you're done or wait until after the game, and he'll tell you. That's what you want. You don't want to tell somebody while they're in the game, that messes them up and gets them off track.

He's certainly pitching very well and making it difficult on what we're going to do.

He has a degree in psychology, so he's very cerebral about pitching and mechanics and things like that. He would make me think more than I usually did, which is sometimes bad for me.

He had to step up and show the team what kind of pitcher he is. We count on Freddy big time. He's a guy the pitching staff looks up to.

He had that one stretch where he got a little wild, but as far as pitching it was a little unusual. Once he got working from the stretch he didn't seem as comfortable.

He has been a constant during our string of 13 straight division titles, both with his pitching and his leadership.

He had not been pitching on a consistent basis, ... Even though he had given up only two hits, he had gotten behind a lot of hitters.

He did a nice job. The three he hit was huge, and his penetration and pitching to Copeland at the end was, too. . . . He's getting there, but I hate to give him a good grade after one good performance.

He did a nice job coming up last year. He's developed a lot of confidence, pitching out of the pen, getting warmed up and so on. He's done everything you want to see as far as getting his arm loose.

He did a good job in his first varsity start. He's been pitching with a cast on his left hand, under his glove, from a football injury. He's a tough kid.

He did a fine job on the mound and our defense did the job behind him. I've told these young men all along our pitching staff isn't going to be the type to just overpower a team and they have to be ready to make that big play at any time for this team to be successful. Our pitchers know if they hit their spots and have control, our defense is able to make plays and that's what happened last night.

He is going to help our pitching immensely. He is another power arm, and he did real well for us until the surgery.

He is just out there throwing. He's just not pitching. He thinks throwing harder is better. It's not. He has to get back to pitching and locating his pitches. You just can't just stand out there throw fastballs by people.

He has solid, above-average receiving skills and is above-average in handling a pitching staff. He'll be able to aid us in the development of Buck.

He had a good curveball. Talking with the Toledo staff, when he's pitching well, that's something he has to have.

He had a big year for Washington. He's a much different pitcher now than early in his career. He's pitching now instead of throwing. He made five starts for the Nationals. He could start.

He got off to a tough start. And having that big contract, pitching at home, can sometimes weigh on you. I don't think he'd admit that, but you really want to start things right, especially being back home, with a new team. And that didn't happen for him.

He fits the club very well. He provides a great deal of energy, he can play defense and run the bases and he hits left-handed pitching very well.

He felt that for his sake and for the pitching aspect of it, and the staff, he felt we're still going to win here and he's got some unfinished business to do with our guys. I think his intent is to get the job done here.

He gives (the pitching staff) the confidence that they need. If a guy makes a good pitch he lets him know. But when he gives constructive criticism, they listen to him.

He may have felt like he had to carry the team. Today he got back to pitching like he can, pitching to spots and changing speeds.

He needs to show he can pitch an entire season without being injured. Pitching 180 innings in the minor leagues is a steppingstone to pitching 200 in the major leagues.

He needs to learn the pitching staffs and learn how to call ballgames for certain types of pitchers. And that just comes with time. Also, he needs to work on consistency of throwing from behind the plate, but the rest is all there. ... He's always in the best shape of anyone coming into camp. We've got no problems with (work ethic) whatsoever.

He needed it, the team needed it. It was a shot in the arm to get a good pitching performance.

He came through in a big way for us, on both sides of the ball. But Ramon is experienced, and our pitching staff is very comfortable with him. He'll do most of the catching. But I told Miguel how much I think of him and what he's done for us.

We've been throwing really well. After a weekend of great pitching you couldn't expect it again, but it happened. The bottom line is, the better the pitching, the lower the other team's score is going to be.

We think he (Rothschild) is one of the most respected pitching coaches in the game and he has two World Series rings to show for that.

We're obviously looking to see how we're going to fare playing four games in one week. It's different than we normally do in high school. It will definitely make your pitching thin. Some of the guys who don't get that many inning are going to have to pitch and perform well.

We're not worried about anyone else. We better be worried about ourselves. We're making enough mistakes of our own. Our pitching and offense have to really get better to win in this conference.

When he was pitching in Oakland last week, he'd talk to me between a few of the innings. I remember sitting there, thinking, 'He's in the middle of the game. He's taking the time to explain to me what he's doing in certain situations and why.' It was pretty cool.

When he played, he had that clown reputation. There were a lot of guys like that, but he stood out. As a pitching coach, he's going to be awesome. He's personable, easygoing, and he seems excited to be here. It will be good. We don't need to work all the time.

What I saw during the postseason, and we talked with Lou Piniella about this on the air, is what power pitching can do for you. The Astros got hits and scratched out runs and had some Minute Maid Park home runs by (Lance) Berkman and Jason Lane, but the difference (in the series) to me is what power pitching can do in October.

We've got to where we play pretty good defense. Of course, good pitching makes a good defense, too. I just know that on down the road that bat has to come alive, and that's what I'm working on.

We've got to have our pitching keep us in games. Guys are still finding out what their roles are. We need to get more games in to get them that experience.

We've got to get the pitching under control where it can keep us in games.

We've forced the other team to hit to beat us. We've forced them to put the ball in play and we've made the plays behind them -- and that's something we didn't do last year. We didn't play good defense behind our pitching and we walked too many guys and we've cleaned up those areas. It's really been a difference for us.

We've felt good and the past two games we haven't made any errors. We got some pitching and some timely hitting. We really manufactured some runs and played more of our game, so I think we've turned the corner here. We're pretty excited to get back into things right now.

What you're expecting from those guys is always pitching in pressure situations,

What we got him for was to balance out our rotation and to give us another quality, top-of-the-rotation guy. Pitching is what wins championships. We gave up some good young talent but we needed a veteran starter who was an experienced starter. Who was a top-of-the-rotation guy. Who was used to pitching in big games like this.

Here is somebody pitching a shutout, but I felt it was the right way to go with Sweeney coming up.

Having to pitch your whole career in New York and be successful, that has to amount to something, ... I can't go back and play, but to go back in a capacity as a pitching coach and become part of the organization again, it's a great honor and a great challenge. I think it's going to be fun.

Having a lot of pitching is usually a good problem to have because you're usually going to need it at some point.

Guys are doing what they're suppose to, so hopefully they keep gaining confidence as we go along. You never want to get too comfortable. You just have to stay focused and lock in. I always tell guys that the best competition is within the pitching staff.

He's a great guy and a great player. I loved playing with him. He's a very competitive guy who did a great job handling the pitching staff. He was really swinging the bat well and I think he'll do a great job with the Cubs and have a great year.

He sacrificed a lot, but those sacrifices are paying off. Ryan was never handed anything except a healthy body and a pitching arm. He dreamed about being a Major League ball player. He realized those dreams with lots of hard work and dedication.

He's a good hitter and with the success he had last year, they might be pitching him differently sometimes. But Tony's one to adjust and I see him being successful again.

He's aggressive. He has great instinct, and he isn't afraid to pull the trigger. There's a reason why they did so well. People will say they have a great pitching staff, but you have to make it work.

Here's this guy pitching so well, and he's already in mid-season form, and there's a good chance we're probably going to face him, so I'm trying to take some notes. It's going to take everything he has not to hit me.

Going into his final season we are going to count on him on the mound, in the outfield and at bat. There is no designated hitter for Alan. His batting and pitching are a plus, and even if he is playing in the outfield there is not a weak link.

He's a lot responsible for the way we've played. To me, he's pitching with a lot more confidence. You can see it out there. But that's what winning does for you. You get aggressive, you make better pitches and you make better choices.

He's been the best catcher we've had in the 15 years I've been here. He brings that smartness to the game as well. He really calls the whole game and he handles our pitching staff well.

He's a very important part of the team. When he's pitching well at the back end of our bullpen it really allows everyone to fall into place.

He saved us at least two runs. Pitching and defense wins big ball games.

He should be a combination of a pitching coach, psychologist and friend.

He's got to feel pretty good about himself coming right out of college, pitching in the playoffs and under pressure and everything else. That's a huge step.

His pitch limit is 100. They don't give you anything extra for pitching nine innings.

His pitching was his best performance I've seen in the Classic. He pitched very effortless. His fastball was very powerful. I told him to throw fastballs. I wasn't worried whether the Mexican team could hit them. I didn't think they could.

His pitching was his best performance I've seen in the Classic.

His strength is defense, but he has some power. He's well-respected among pitching staffs as a guy who can catch and throw and handle a staff and call the game.

His spirit was taken away. Pitching was his thing, and he was dominating. For him not to pitch was kind of devastating. Now he has that bounce back in his step.

His workload has been real heavy. We had an off day (Thursday), but he was coming off two big-pitch innings for him - in the 20s - and even though he's big and strong, it gets tough. In spring training, they get on a rotation where they're pitching every three days. Then you pick it up a little and they're pitching every other day. Now, he's been in four out of five days. To be thrown into that, even though you're big and strong, it's still a little early to have that type of pressure put on you.

He's got 13 wins. That's a difference maker with the amount of injuries we've had to our pitching staff this year. We were able to dip down in the bullpen and have him start - good start after good start, five, six, seven innings every time out, giving us a chance to win.

He's a winner. In talking to guys who have been with the Dodgers, they would say they enjoyed having him as manager. He works hard at what he does, he talks to them, and you can see that their pitching and fundamentals always have been strong. With the talent we have, I don't see any reason why he can't continue his successful run here.

He's a veteran guy. He knows how to handle a pitching staff.

He's a very, very talented young man. As he has shown in the Majors he is well deserving and wise beyond his years, pitching wise.

He's going to be tough. He always is. He's been pitching in the conference as long as I have. He can be overpowering at times. I know right now the game is going to be close. I look at it as one of the tougher games I'm going to have throughout the season.

He's been pitching well. Today, he scuffled more than he has in the past. He battled us out of a couple of jams.

He's been pitching well, ... Today, he scuffled more than he has in the past. He battled us out of a couple of jams.

He's been pitching well. David's a guy that's matured since last year and really stepped up.