Jeff Francis Quotations

What helps us as young guys is we're not intimidated by anybody. We leave it all on the field.

When I executed my pitches I had success, ... I can learn a lot from that.

Solo home runs usually don't hurt you. But when there's four they do.

Never have I had an outing where I missed by so much so often. I couldn't find my release point.

I guess I did have a good first inning, which is something I didn't do a lot last year, so that's a good sign.

I don't know what I expected at this point of the year, but I do know if I'm not pitching well, I'm not going to be satisfied. I have won 11 games, but there were six weeks left in the season and I had 11 wins, so I should have more. I'm not looking for any way to justify what's happened.

I couldn't make that adjustment (earlier in the season) to get through a game. The good thing (Wednesday) is, I made adjustments. I wasn't perfect, but it was something and I was able to keep the game from getting out of hand.

I have struggled before like this in the minor leagues. The difference is that major-league hitters are better and don't miss mistakes.

He makes me feel more comfortable on the mound than any other catcher ever has. For a guy who hasn't been in the majors very long, he's very knowledgeable. There was a game late last year when I was struggling. He told me in the dugout, 'Just forget about the mechanics, just go out there and compete.' Now, I'm a guy who's always thinking about mechanics, but that rang true for me that day. He knows how to handle pitchers.

To finally play in international competition, especially in a place like that where every country had their best, it was pretty special.

I was confident I could throw that pitch for a strike. He froze on it. If I could drop that ball in there, we're not even talking about that pitch.

I was confident I could throw that pitch for a strike. He froze on it. If I can drop that ball in there, we're not even talking about that pitch right there.

It happened very quickly. I didn't make good pitches and I left the ball up. It's very disappointing. The team put a lot of confidence in me, giving the ball in this situation. Everyone in that clubhouse was confident. But we aren't going to walk away hanging out heads.

I think things went the way I wanted them to. I definitely was able to do what I wanted with my pitches.

My observation is that this year there was a lot of work done by local officials by both developing responsible budgets and doing a very good jobs to communicate what's behind the budgets.

Johnson was a bad pitch (that was supposed to be) low and away. The ball came over the inside part of the plate, and he turned on it.

Which I think is great. I want to get out there as soon as possible, especially if I'm only throwing three innings, why wait five days?

To see between 10 and 20 defeats is not unusual. In 2003 there were 42 budgets defeated. In 2004 there were only six. Between 10 and 20 defeats is not uncommon.

This was an awesome experience, something you don't experience in the major leagues.

To put that confidence in me to start a game like that I think builds my confidence and makes me feel good going out. I'm ready to go the full 65 (pitches).

There definitely is something not quite right. The good thing is I feel like if I can find that release point and start putting the ball where I need to when I need to, good things are going to happen. I think I avoided a lot of damage that could have been done.

Every country has something to prove. We want to show this is a global game. It's not just America's game any more.

Fastball, it went right down the middle, and he was all over it.

The way I see it, I was up and down,

It was the same thing the whole outing. I was having trouble with my release point and getting the ball where I needed to. There is definitely something that is not quite right.

The three runs in the fourth came when I made bad pitches all in a row and they took advantage of them. I have to be able to eliminate those mistakes.

telling you what he thinks of his fastball.

Right now, we might be inexperienced, ... but down the road we'll be better off.

Once the season is over. I just kind of go back through it, look at the things I wrote down over the year -- what I did, what I need to do, what I'm happy with, what I'm not happy with -- and look forward to next year.

That's just a little more than a third of an inning more per start. My goal is to be more consistent, and I know I'm capable of that. There were a lot of games when I either had a lead or I fell behind early. I want to be the type of pitcher that can pitch for a long time and keep his team in a tight game.

They took advantage of some bad pitches and hit them hard.

A lot of pitches I think weren't the way I wanted them to be. The first inning I came out throwing the ball really well. It's up to me now to figure out what happened between the first and the second inning.

It was awesome, especially that atmosphere out there (Thursday). It was something you don't experience playing in the major leagues. It was something special.

It really did happen very quick. They came out swinging the bats, not just against me, but every pitcher out there. They didn't get deep into a lot of counts. I left pitches up, and good hitters are going to hit pitches like that.

It's very disappointing. Coming into this game we were confident. I don't think we'll walk away from this with our heads down.

It's forgotten. It was a bad outing and it was unfortunate I did it in a big game, but you know, I'm back to preparing for April.

It's a very disappointing feeling. With the feelings we had coming into the game we were confident. But I don't think we're going to walk away with our heads down, I think we're proud of what's happened, that's just the mentality we take.

It's been a long time coming. I'm definitely really excited about it.

I've gotten myself into a lot of trouble, more so than when I had success at lower levels. But I've made some pitches when I've needed to, to get out of it. I mean, not always. I've given up my share of runs and hits.

I'm probably going to obsess about it until I figure it out. Until I get it right, it won't be right in my head.

I never missed by so much so often.

In early March it's not too often you're playing intense games like that. I think I've prepared myself well for it (so) that those things will take care of themselves.

I haven't executed against them. The first time around, you might get away with a few things, but to have success over time, you have to execute your pitches.

I really didn't think he was going to take me out. I was surprised. But it's not really my job to second-guess those things. We won the game, that's the most important thing, so I'm not too worried about it.

I just made some bad pitches all in a row. I have to be able to eliminate those mistakes.

I just didn't have anything. It's too bad you have one of those days on that type of day where there's a lot on the line. It's disappointing.

If he gets three hits and doesn't score any runs, that's fine with me.

I don't want to do it when I'm angry.