Joe Maddon Quotes

"Yes, he'll start the second game of the season, and I really believe he's ready for that. He was very happy about it."

"I think they're turning it up in tight situations and I like it. Our guys, as the game gets later, it just seems like their focus gets better at the plate."

"He's throwing the ball well. There's been no negative impact. No setbacks. There's no pain. I think he's fine. But we still have to monitor it. We're not just going to throw him out there. We want to stick to the plan. Once we get to the season we'll determine how many days in a row he can play and when he needs a day off."

"What is conventional wisdom? Who created conventional wisdom in the first place? It's just something we've been doing for a long period of time, and while the game is the same, the game has changed in other ways. If you have enough information, you might be able to take some chance based on the information."

"He's making more quality pitches down in the strike zone."

"When I first got here, the first thing I said was that we have to build relationships. That's how you turn negatives into positives."

"It's part of the strategy of this team. Our strength is going to be speed, and I want them to see what we can do."

"Nothing hurts. Nothing's sore, but I don't think he's built up enough arm strength."

"I think the outfield is a strength."

"He's on a level with Barry Bonds, as far as hitting ability. He's just so hard to pitch to. ... We're just going to keep trying."

"I've seen guys like him with that kind of body build, and I like it, because I see a lot of limberness and looseness, and yet there's still a lot of strength involved. Actually, he's in a good position, I think, to grow into that, and with the training we have, you're going to see him develop into a pretty well-developed [strong player]."

"He's got good face. That means that he's strong, he's attentive. He's a great listener. He has an enthusiasm about him. He has got this way about him that I think other people respond to."

"I love everything he does. He is everything they said he is."

"The wasting of good pitching is a mortal sin. It's actually the 11th commandment."

"It's one of the funniest plays in all of sports. He runs hard, and he runs fast. He's intense."

"I was in the company of royalty."

"You probably need a seven- to nine-man pitching staff among starters to really get through a season. I would say seven, maybe eight. You're always looking for what's going to happen, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, in case of a breakdown."

"I want the players to play that way, so I'd better manage that way. The philosophy has been thrown out there. We've been talking about it. We've been working on it, so let's see how it works. Let's see if theory and reality can come together."

"He's getting there. He's started to show more quality pitches down in the zone and as he really becomes more proficient with that, that's when he's really going to be able to take off."

"He has the mentality of a closer. He has an easy delivery which is part of the deception to the hitters. He is like an old-time Bryan Harvey."