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Wednesday, June 7
BEST QUOTE - 2006 SEASON
"All I know is, you've got my vote."
Andy Fowler- 2006 Rookie Show
BASEBALL
You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball; and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.
Jim Bouton, major-league pitcher (1962-1970, 1978)
Ninety feet between the bases is perhaps as close as man has ever gotten to perfection.
Red Smith, sportswriter
Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand.
Wes Westrum, major-league player (1947-1957), manager
What a great day for baseball. Let's play two.
Ernie Banks, Hall of Famer
The game is the count.
Bob Welch, major-league pitcher (1978-1994)
People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell them what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
Rogers Hornsby, Hall of Fame player (1915-37), manager
Baseball is a lot like life. The line drives are caught, the squibblers go for base hits. It's an unfair game.
Rod Kanehl, major-league player (1962-1964)
ATTITUDE
Improve your performance by improving your attitude.
Unknown
If you insist on measuring yourself, put a tape around your heart rather than your head.
Anonymous
CHAMPIONS
If you're going to be a champion, you must be willing to pay a greater price than your opponent.
Bud Wilkinson, coach
No team wins the championship holding its breath.
Harvey Araton, sportswriter
There is only a half step difference between the champions and those who finish on the bottom. And much of that half step is mental.
Tom Landry, Hall of Fame football coach
COMPETITION
A competitor will find a way to win. Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder. Quiters take bad breaks and use them as a reason to give up. It's all a matter of pride.
Nancy Lopez, champion professional golfer
Compete against yourself, not others.
Peggy Fleming, Olympic gold medalist skater and broadcaster
COMPOSURE
The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all.
Lou Gehrig, Hall of Fame baseball player
Catching a flyball is a pleasure, but knowing what to do with it after you catch it is a business.
Tommy Henrich, professional baseball player
If you don't know where you're going, be careful. You might get there.
Yogi Berra, Hall of Famer
CONCENTRATION
Concentration is the ability to think about absolutely nothing when it is absolutely necessary.
Ray Knight, professional baseball player and manager
Keep your head up and you may not have to keep it down.
Joe McCarthy, ballplayer
CONFIDENCE
What you're thinking, what shape your mind is in, is what makes the biggest difference of all.
Willie Mays, Hall of Fame baseball player
Show me a guy who's afraid to look bad and I'll show you a guy you can beat every time.
Lou Brock, professional baseball player
If you hit the ball hard, you've done your job. What happens after that is beyond your control. This game is fixed on results, but if you focus on statistics, you can lose your confidence and create a slump in your mind.
Travis Lee, major-league player (1998-present)
EXCUSES
No excuse in the world counts for squat.
Mark Schubert, U.S. Olympic swimming coach
Winners make goals, losers make excuses.
Unknown
EXPECTATIONS
You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
Michael Jordan, champion professional basketball player
HITTING
Say you get four at bats; that's twelve strikes a game. If you can't hit four hard, you're not in the right business.
Mike Piazza, professional baseball player
You don't think and hit at the same time.
Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame baseball player and manager
The key to hitting is to relax, concentrate- and don't hit the ball to center field.
Stan Musial, Hall of Famer
A hitter's impatience is the pitcher's biggest advantage.
Pete Rose, Major League player
A decent hitter can hit a good pitch three times better than a great hitter can hit a bad pitch.
Ted Williams, Hall of Famer
I don't like to sound egotistical, but every time I step up to the plate with a bat in my hands, I feel sorry for the pitcher.
Rogers Hornsby, Hall of Famer
If you play for 10 years in the major leagues and have 7,000
at-bats and 2,000 hits, you have had a pretty fair career, but you've gone 0-for-5,000.
Reggie Jackson, Hall of Fame player (1967-1987)
You must learn to make that first time up a key time by striving to find out as much about a pitcher as possible, and you do that by making him pitch. It's simple arithmetic: You figure to face a pitcher at least three to four times in a game. The more information you log the first time up, the better your chances the next three. The more you make him pitch, the more information you get.
Ted Williams
When I'm on deck, I'm just thinking about seeing the baseball, and then seeing myself hit the ball hard.
Mark McGwire, major-league player (1986-2001)
The best thought process is to hit the ball back through the middle, right back at the pitcher. That way, an outside strike and the inside strike become a reaction.
Mike Lieberthal, major-league player (1994-present)
I use to watch every pitch into the catcher's mitt when I didn't swing. I started doing that when I was seven or eight years old. It gives you a longer look when you're taking a pitch. You track it all the way, right to the catcher's mitt. It's good practice for making you stay on the ball longer and helping you wait longer.
Wade Boggs, major-league player (1982-1999)
A pretty good rule of thumb for amateur hitters is not to swing at a breaking ball until you are forced to with two strikes.
Mike Schmidt
Choking up gave me better bat control. I would slide my hands an inch or two above the knob of the bat. Many people believe that choke hitters can't generate power, but Ted Williams choked up and he has over 500 career home runs on his resume.
Joe Morgan
When I was a pitcher myself, I always figured that when I had the batters swinging I had them beat. It's the waiting batter that worries a pitcher. Then you have to keep on getting the ball over the plate. That is a continual strain on a pitcher and the very thing he likes least of all.
George Sisler
It's easier to hit a breaking ball than a fastball, because you get more time to look at it.
Tony Gwynn
It's not a wrist roll. It's a wrist snap. If you do it correctly, it keeps the barrel through the hitting zone without changing its path and without lifting over the ball and creating topspin.
Dave Gallagher major-league player and college coach
A lot of young players believe choking up isn't manly or is a sign of weak hitting. Nonsense. Choking up is a smart move that shortens and lightens the bat. Choking up makes it easier for you to guide your bat to the ball.
Wade Boggs
The most important thing about finding your grip is to remove tension. Anything you can do to take tension away helps, because tension destroys a batter.
Charlie Lau
Whenever I brought my arms too close to my body, I tended to upper-cut the ball. The result? Too many fly-ball outs. That habit was tough to break. The late Nellie Fox, a Hall of Famer suggested that I flap my elbows whenever I was at the plate as a reminder to keep my arms away from my torso. I was only suppose to do this for a few days, but the "chicken flap" became part of my hitting routine. It kept my elbows out and got me ready to hit.
Joe Morgan
Beating out a bunt isn't just as good as a hit, it is a hit.
Wade Boggs
Walks aren't a sign of weak hitting- they'r a sign of smart hitting and team hitting..... Walks minimize outs, set up or sustain rallies, and win games. A walk may not always be as good as a hit, but walks creat base runners and base runners score runs.
Wade Boggs
The main reason the average bunter fails is that he refuses to give himself up. Instead of bunting just to advance the base runner, the batter bunts with the idea in mind of beating it out for a bas hit, bunting and running at the same time.
Joe DiMaggio
Ninety-five percent of fly balls are certain outs. Ground balls get through the infield for hits, move the runners up, and put pressure on infielders. They are always potentially productive. More runs are knocked in with ground balls than fly balls.
Mike Schmidt
HOPE
It ain't over til it's over.
Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame baseball player and manager
MISTAKES
When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should do about it; 1) admit it; 2) learn from it; 3) don't repeat it.
Paul "Bear" Bryant, professional football coach
I don't want to make the wrong mistake.
Yogi Berra, Hall of Famer
PITCHING
Good pitching will always stop good hitting and vice-versa.
Bob Veale, professional baseball player
Stand on the rubber and read the writing on the mitt. Total focus. Shut the world out.
Jan Reid, sportswriter
Strikeouts are boring--besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. More democratic.
Kevin Costner, actor, to his pitcher in Bull Durham
Never let the failure of your last pitch affect the success of your next one.
Nolan Ryan, Hall of Fame pitcher (1966, 1968-93)
When pitchers are offensive, the batters become defensive.
Ray Miller
My father once told me the harder you throw it, the less time you have to duck.
Doug Jones, major-league pitcher 1982, 1986-present)
In critical situations, I want our pitcher to go with his best pitch. Why would you want to get beat with your second-best pitch?
Davey Jones, major-league player (1965-78), manager
The most important pitch in the count for me is 1-1, because 1-2 and 2-1 are two different worlds.
Greg Maddux
What's the use of doin' in three pitches what you can do in one?
Grover Cleveland Alexander, Hall of Fame pitcher (1911-30)
When I get to 0-2 on a hitter, I like to get him out with the next pitch. I throw a lot of pitches as it is, I don't need to throw any extra ones.
Bob Gibson
There are umpires that are pitchers' umpires and others that are hitters' umpires. What's important is that you throw to that particular umpire's strike zone- the one that is behind the plate that day. If you get frustrated with his zone, you're just going to hurt yourself.
David Wells
The pitcher has to find out if the hitter is timid. And if the hitter is timid, he has to remind the hitter he's timid.
Don Drysdale, Hall of Fame baseball player
Hitting is timing; Pitching is upsetting timing.
Warren Spahn, Baseball Hall of Famer
Pitching is the art of instilling fear.
Sandy Koufax, Baseball Hall of Famer
When the ball is over the middle of the plate, the batter is hitting it with the sweet part of the bat. When it's inside, he's hitting it with the part of the bat from the handle to the trademark. When it's outside, he's hitting it with the end of the bat. You've got to keep the ball away from the sweet part. To do that, the pitcher has to move the hitter off the plate.
Don Drysdale, Hall of Famer
It helps if the hitter thinks you're a little crazy.
Nolan Ryan, Hall of Famer
I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it.
Sandy Koufax
If they get a hit, I'm throwing a one-hitter. If they get walk, it's my last walk. I deal with perfection to the point that is logical to conceive it. History is history. The future is perfect.
Orel Hershiser
You're supposed to win when you have all your pitches going for you. You haven't become a good pitcher until you can win when you don't have anything.
Sandy Koufax
Generally, low pitches are most effective because the batter sees only the top half of the ball and cannot hit it squarely.
Tom Seaver
I threw 78 miles per hour in high school. I hit 92 miles per hour during my freshman year in college, and today I can throw 98. If I can name one thing that contributed most to my increase in velocity, it would be long toss.
Billy Wagner
The strike-one count changes the complexion of an at-bat tremendously. It's on one pitch, but the hitter is behind in the count, and you can do a lot more things with your second pitch. You can expand the zone....
Mel Stottlemyre
A change-up is not hard to learn. Long toss when you work on it. Once you warm up, play catch about 100 feet away. Instead of throwing with you fastball grip, throw the change-ups. That trains you to use the same arm action as you would with a fastball.... Allow your grip to do the work of slowing the ball down.
Mark Mulder major-league pitcher (2000-present)
When throwing to first, concentrate 100 percent on the runner, and when throwing to the plate, concentrate 100 percent on the batter. It's the 80 to 20 percent formula that will get you in trouble.
Gene Mauch, major-league pitcher, manager
My approach for base stealers was to step on and off the rubber and try to break their timing of my delivery.
Bob Feller
Don't try to muscle the pitch to get greater velocity. When you tighten the arm to throw, it's like a hitter trying to hit a home run and swinging too hard. His bat gets very slow. The same thing will happen with you arm. Keep your hand, wrist, and arm relaxed so you can pop the ball at the very last second.
Bob Gibson
PRACTICE
Concentration is why some athletes are better than others. You develop that concentration in training. You can't be lackadaisical in training and concentrate in a meet.
Edwin Moses, medal-winning track star
Practice doesn't make perfect, because you can practice bad habits and never get any better.... You play like you practice, and if you practice correctly, you'll play correctly.
Cal Ripken Sr.
Each day you don't practice hard is one more day you have to practice to get better.
Unknown
If you're not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he'll be ready to take your job.
Brooks Robinson, Hall of Fame player (1955-1977)
PREPARATION
Everyone wants to win on game day. Every coach and player walks on the field fired up and raring to go. But if they have not put in the time to prepare during the week, they will fall flat on their faces.
Joe Gibbs, professional football coach
The will to win is grossly overrated. The will to prepare is far more important.
Bobby Knight, champion college basketball coach
When you're through learning, you're through.
Vernon Law, major-league pitcher (1950-51, 1954-67)
The eight laws of learning are explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, and repetition.
John Wooden
If you let social activities take precedence over your academic activities, then you will soon lose your basketball activities.
John Wooden to his team
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.
Earl Weaver, major-league manager
SECOND PLACE
In this country, when you finish second, no one knows your name.
Frank McGuire, basketball coach
In this country, you either finish first or last, there is no second place.
Buddy Werner, writer
The best possible thing in baseball is winning the World Series. The second best thing is losing the World Series.
Tommy Lasorda, major-league manager
SUCCESS
Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.
Fred Shero, professional hockey coach
The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.
Vince Lombardi, professional football player and coach
It's not how you start, it's how you finish.
Barry Bonds, professional baseball player
If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, you haven't done much today.
Chief Bender, ballplayer
You'll never reach second base if you keep one foot on first.
Vernon Law, major-league ballplayer
The only way to make progress is to make more progress.
Branch Rickey, team owner
TEAM
Individual commitment to a group effort, gentlemen, that's what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
Vince Lombardi, Hall of Fame football coach
Working hard indivdually is what builds a team collectively.
Karch Kiraly, professional volleyball player
VICTORY
Everyone has the will to win, but few have the will to prepare to win.
Bobby Knight, basketball coach
I don't think we can win every game---just the next one.
Lou Holtz, college and professional coach
You can learn a little from victory. You can learn everything from defeat.
Christy Mathewson, major-leaguer
WINNING
In playing or managing, the game of ball is only fun for me when I'm out in front and winning. I don't give a hill of beans for the rest of the game.
John J. McGaw, Hall of Fame baseball player and manager
Winning is an attitude.
John Chaney, college basketball coach
Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing.
Vince Lombardi, National Football League Hall of Fame coach
The country is full of good coaches. What it takes to win is a bunch of interested players.
Don Coryell
Winning isn't everything, wanting to is.
Unknown
Winners never quit and quitters never win.
Unknown
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