He didn't have his best stuff tonight. His command wasn't nearly what it has been in the past. He had a four-run cushion, wasn't really able to capitalize on it. But he still left the game with a lead, so it wasn't a lost effort by any means. He battled.
I talked to Todd (on Sunday) night after the game and left another message for him (Monday) morning. He told me he might not make it on this road trip and laughed.
We probably didn't get the number of runs we should have been able to get. We left a lot of people on base.
I'm not sure what happened the day he left my office, but something clicked. He looked at me, and said, 'I will be back and I will be ready to pitch in the majors.' He was right on the mark. When he came back that season, he was definitely ready.
I told my guys in the meeting today, man, it's like a snake. If somebody tells me it's dead, I'm going to run over it three times before I believe it. You tell me he's not swinging the bat good, I'll believe it when he's left here and we've been able to handle him.