Mike Hargrove Guys Quotations

I didn't like it that our guys threw so many balls. They were all throwing strikes pitching in the bullpen. It is amazing what happens when you put a hitter at the plate.

I think it's good for our players to see these guys receiving a ring like this. Getting that ring is what it's all about.

We've been in our bullpen with a lot of regularity this year in the fifth inning or starting the sixth. We've had to use (Julio) Mateo, (J.J.) Putz and (Rafael) Soriano in two-inning stints a lot already this year. If we continue to do that, when we get to August and September and we're in this, those guys are going to be out of gas because we had to use them so much.

When you're struggling like we were, it's easy to start pressing. Our guys didn't do that. We started taking more pitches and getting into better counts.

Usually it's two guys holding the victim, but this was even better. I think this trick was invented when Abner Doubleday started this game, and every year there's somebody who hasn't seen it. We had to go all the way to Japan to find someone this time.

You guys asked me before if he was awestruck with the Yankees, and I tried to downplay that. I don't know he was awestruck, but he was terribly excited. He was flying open. Bad. He couldn't find command of his pitches.

Two 3-1 counts, and we got fastballs up to guys you don't want to get fastballs up to, and they hit them out.

the thing sat up and hissed at us, with those nasty teeth showing. We had guys running out of its way.

You see guys now who are hitting .400 who, come September or July, they're going to be hitting .200. And there are guys who are notoriously slow starters who, as the season gets going, they'll play up to their career averages. We have guys who are not performing well right now who have good track records, and they'll be there when all is said and done.

I'm especially pleased with the way Woods threw the ball. And Gonzalez. It's good to see those guys step up. We've been waiting for it for a few weeks, and it's still not too late.

I haven't gone around and taken a poll -- and I won't -- but I would bet if you went out and asked all those guys about their favorite teammates, a lot of them would mention Kenji as one of them.

Everyone is doing what they're supposed to do. Guys around our big guys are getting on base and into scoring position, and our big guys are putting the ball in play and coming through. Everybody is doing their jobs offensively.