Jim Tracy Quotes

"You'd be blind if you didn't look at this guy and say there's a lot of ability. And you know what? He's an even better person."

"I think that is a prerequisite in considering a guy (to pitch) late in the game. Also, the ability to be able to bounce back after you've had a tough day, and realize you can't have too many bad days in a row because that's not good for a baseball team."

"This guy has got a lot of mileage out of the ability he possesses. He becomes a better player when you're able to work within the framework of his ability."

"It just makes sense, ... The way he runs and his ability to steal a base; if he gets on base it sets the stage for a Robles at-bat."

"We're encouraged by that. We can form a definitive course of action for his rehabilitation and strengthening, so when we get to Spring Training, we won't have to deal with it."

"For a kid his age, he's off the charts. He's going to be a good -- make that really good -- Major League baseball player some day."

"Very important. You're hopeful this win can jump-start you and head you in the direction you know this club is capable of going."

"We had an opportunity in the first inning to get the game headed in the direction we wanted to and they got Jeff [Kent] to hit into the double play. From that point on, Jae Seo was in control of the game. He was throwing his offspeed pitches for strikes all day long in hitters' counts."

"Of course, there is going to be some emotion on my part when I look over to the other dugout and see some people who I have great feeling for."

"It has been tremendous. The work ethic that has been put forth has been just great. The environment was very loose, which is what I like to see, and yet within the framework of that looseness was a very businesslike approach."

"I don't think it's any more daunting than some of the challenges we have faced up to this point. We have seen some awfully good pitching."

"Our approach in any situation like that this early in the spring is to err on the side of caution."

"Our approach is that at this early juncture of the spring, you're going to err on the side of caution. Right now, I'm not thinking about anything other than let's find out what we're dealing with so we can move forward."

"He's been fighting to win, which says a lot about who he is as a person, ... I know how he would want and expect me to react to this ? to keep right on working, to keep right on fighting."

"He deserved a much better fate."

"When you face guys of that caliber, your starters have to believe they are equal to the task. One thing I know about both Oliver and Zach is they believe that. They do more than just believe that -- they expect to go out there and match those guys. The situation could become very interesting if it plays itself out."

"It's not just one conversation. We've talked an awful lot about what a leadoff hitter is all about, in my opinion, and the role he plays in setting a table."

"With the little bit of conversation I heard that took place between Sean and (head trainer) Brad Henderson, you knew it was something more than a guy getting the wind knocked out of him. Each of the first three times he got up, he felt shooting pains going down his back."

"If there are two areas right now that you'd like to see us [improve] it's the consistency of our starting pitching and our execution in game-changing at-bats."

"There was no way to expect how well he's done. The consistency of his at-bats have been eye opening. He's a guy that when you look beyond just the here and now, ahead to 2006 and beyond, he's obviously become a very valuable piece for us."