Clint Hurdle Spring Quotations

One thing our guys do in spring training is get in shape. Jorge needs to play there, get his at-bats and reps, and show up with the groove he was in last year and that he needs to stay in.

Obviously, he is having a special spring. He's gained the respect of his teammates and he has gained the respect of the players he has played against. But the bottom line is it is spring training. The fact is there is going to be an Opening Day and he is going to have zero home runs.

I don't want them to feel they have to pitch their way into the spot and that is what spring training is about. We need to get it out of the way, clear out any distractions and keep focused on the job at hand, getting ready for the season.

We told Garrett he does not have to flinch. I think he's actually having fun watching what is going on. We are all having fun watching. Someone is going to have to tell the kid (he is going to the minors). I guess that is my responsibility. . . . Garrett is having a special spring in his own right.

He had a very good spring for us. We put him in all three outfield positions. We hit him up and down the lineup. He has been told he is an overachiever. We get to a point where you'll just be called an achiever.

Just giving him a rest, right in the middle of spring training. We just want to slow him down a little bit.

We've told Garrett he doesn't have to flinch. He's experienced a special spring in his own right. I think he's having fun watching the guy. I mean, we all are.

We had almost every position player play anywhere from the low 60s to 100 innings in the field (in spring training). We're not probably going to ask him to do that much, but it's going to need to be a little bit more than him just getting 25 at-bats and being ready to go.

I never like to lose a ball game, but the degree of care in spring training isn't the same. You never want to be at the bottom at any point in time.

He thinks he's found something, a little something to keep his head centered and still on the plate. He made better pitches. His fastball command improved as a the spring went on, his breaking ball sharpened up. He feels confident going into the season.

It's a special spring for him. He's gaining the respect of his teammates. He's gaining the respect of players he's playing against. But the bottom line it's still spring training. So, there's the dose of reality ... that there's going to be an opening day for him and he's going to be hitting .000 and he's going to have no homers. But we do like what we're seeing.