Pitcher Quotations

Let the pitcher move first, then, as he draws his arm back, you draw the bat back and you are ready.

When I started in professional baseball, I had what you might call a rude awakening. See this scar right next to my left ear? That's where the pitcher hit me the very first time I came to bat as a pro. I was out cold for about 10 minutes.

Never let yourself get fooled by the same pitcher on the same pitch on the same day.

If a pitcher sees you fiddling with the bat, he'll stall until your arms are tired before you even get a chance to hit.

A pitcher is only as good as his legs.

Jamie Moyer was in his third year as a major league pitcher and was, by his own admission, still wide-eyed, watching everything going on around him and soaking it in. He paid particular attention to older teammates on his Chicago Cubs squad, hoping to emulate habits that had allowed those veterans to extend their careers.

I don't know why you would trade a stud pitcher.

When I played, a pitcher could throw at you any time he wanted to. In fact, he could tell you he was going to throw at you, and there was nothing said. You had to take it. If he hit ya, he hit ya.

I've won plenty of games by knowing when to take out my pitcher; whom to replace him with; or how to place my infield or outfield to defend properly against the opposing hitter.

You don't always make an out. Sometimes the pitcher gets you out.

No one intuitively understands quantum mechanics because all of our experience involves a world of classical phenomena where, for example, a baseball thrown from pitcher to catcher seems to take just one path, the one described by Newton's laws of motion. Yet at a microscopic level, the universe behaves quite differently.

What is life, after all, but a challenge? And what better challenge can there be than the one between the pitcher and the hitter.

It was much more fun playing with him than against him. If you wanted one pitcher to start the seventh game of the World Series, which he did in 1945, you'd pick Hal Newhouser.

The overall thinking of the shortstop covers the overall context of the ballgame. You have to know the count they'll hit-and-run on. You're thinking of the speed, not only of the runner at first base, but the runner at the plate. You have to know how fast the pitcher is on a particular day.

Goose Gossage is a friend of mine, and he's definitely a Hall of Fame pitcher in my mind.

Balls and strikes are the basic tenet to everything in baseball. From the perspective of hitting, pitching, offense and defense, it's all about the strike zone and how the battle is waged there between the pitcher and hitter.

For me, the most important thing is running a good clubhouse. The X's and the O's - you sit up in the stands and, for the most part, a lot of fans go to the game and they know what's going to happen. You're going to hit and run, steal, put a pitcher in, take a pitcher out.

In baseball, you can do something poorly and still get credit. A pitcher could throw a bad ball, the batter hit a screaming line drive, and an outfielder make a fantastic diving catch. Yet, when you look at historical databases, 80% of the time when a ball is struck with that trajectory and velocity, it is a hit.

I think the changeup has become more popular recently by pitchers like Pedro Martinez and the success he had with it.

It takes 20 victories for people to recognize you as a great pitcher.

It doesn't matter what the scoreboard says. I'm always having fun, talking to other guys. They even come to first base and ask me about hitting. I try to help them out as much as I can in the 30 seconds before the pitcher throws the next pitch. That's me. I don't think I will ever change that.

There is no set numerical value you can put on a pitcher. Theyre all different.

But because I could throw so hard when I got to college they made me a pitcher.

In baseball, I was a pitcher, which I hated because there was no action there.

I was real proud of the effort we got out of our guys today. We knew we were going to throw a different pitcher every inning and we swapped up the lineup at first, knowing we were going to try and get everybody in we could.

I was going to go up hacking, ... Pitcher on deck. Two outs. He can start throwing his dirtiest stuff up there. So I was definitely hacking.

One of the hardest things for a pitcher coming out of high school to this level is to learn to back off of the velocity. He has learned. That's a sign of maturity.

Port Charlotte did what they had to do to stay with us early. Their pitcher was doing just fine until the fifth.

One of the biggest things, when you have a pitcher throwing a lot of strikes like that, is to not let him get comfortable throwing strike one. If you let him start to feel like he can just lay it in, lay it in, all of a sudden you're behind.

On our field, it's blowing left to right. As a pitcher you just have to pitch your game.

I wouldn't want it any other way. If it's the game deciding if we're going to go to the playoffs or not, I want to be out on the mound just like every other pitcher on this staff wants to be out on the mound.

I was seeing the ball really good that game. After I hit the first two, I got real comfortable and the pitcher threw me a 3-2 fastball inside, and I just turned on it.

Nobody here has taken him and put him in a chair and tried to get him wound up so tight that he can't perform by breaking down his mechanics, ... We've kept things as simple as possible for a young left-handed pitcher to go out there and perform. I really believe that, at this point and time in the season, this is one of the more challenging things that's happened to him in his career. This'll be a good barometer of who and what he is.

We needed a win. Anytime you can get a win against a quality pitcher like Matt Bryant, it makes you feel good. The kids really wanted it tonight.

One of my personal favorite moments in life was when a buddy of mine and I were working in the joust. We finished up one really hot day, went over to the Rosie Stag, a little on-site period tavern, clapped our swords on the table, ordered up a pitcher of ale, whipped out our period pipes and tobacco, and just sat there relaxing for the next hour waiting for the next joust. Moments like that, you feel like you've transcended into what (life) might have been at that time.

Next time, they could make a rule that a pitcher has to pitch in the last 30 days of the (previous) season. There will be some kinks like that, that need to be worked out.

Right now he's getting ahead of hitters and throwing three pitches for strikes. That's what a starting pitcher needs to do.

My favorite sport is baseball; my cousin is pitcher Heath Bell.

I got outpitched today, ... You can't win when the other pitcher throws a shutout.

I got started with a basic thought. I wanted to know how each pitcher got strike one. Once I did that, I added this and then that.

If this kid maintains the same type of mentality and approach that he possesses right now, it's a matter of time before you start strongly talking about the fact that he is a candidate to come here and start a Major League game. I look at this guy as being a very good starting pitcher some day.

If we have a pitcher who doesn't have her best stuff, the other will somehow be on her game. If someone is not hitting well, there is somebody else who is. Somebody always steps up and we get it done.

If we got Wells, it probably would mean a pitcher going back the other way.

Leaving a game in the fifth inning I wouldn't think would make any pitcher happy, ... Sometimes different things will motivate people different ways.

The pitcher threw it home and (the runner) plowed the catcher too.

The pitcher will go to the well once too often.

The pitching was really good for the most part. South Alabama's (junior) pitcher P.J. Walters was great for them. Friday night's game was more of a pitchers' duel. Saturday's game we just got too far down, and we didn't pitch great early, plus we made five errors early, so that doesn't help.

When you commit to a delivery alteration or different focus, which we've done with almost every single pitcher on the staff, it sometimes takes a while to get the consistent release point. It takes a while to be able to throw the baseball without concentrating on that alteration. Once it's ingrained in there to where they can throw without concentrating on that and put all of their focus on getting hitters out, then they pitch better.

Since halfway through last year this guy has probably been the best pitcher in the major leagues. I don't think anyone's been better. I'm just glad I don't have to face him. He's nasty. On a cold night, you give him some runs to work with and he's going to be tough.

Since he is not a pitcher and he's a shortstop, it was worth at least trying to rehabilitate the shoulder. If he doesn't get any better in the next couple of weeks, we will go ahead and operate.

My main concern was safety. I didn't want to get a pitcher ---- Vista or ours ---- hurt.

Megan adds an element of speed to our team. Lauren has improved as a pitcher each year, and we look forward to good things from her this year.

Mentally it always helps tremendously to get the jump right away. Of course, that helps the pitcher out too, knowing that she has a little cushion to work with.

Mention those guys, that is comforting. That helps. Obviously, you like going into a year having your No. 1 pitcher back. And Dorn, last year we didn't talk much about him but had high expectations.

She has really great chemistry with the pitchers. She has a great grasp of the entire game, what is working and what is not working for the pitcher and what to do in certain counts. She keeps the game moving, so we don't have to call time nearly as much.

She (Hutchins) kept us off balance. We didn't hit the good pitches when she threw them. Then, after that, were behind in the count, chasing. That's what every pitcher wants. Tonight, we gave her that luxury.

She is a great player. She is a great pitcher and a great hitter.

Shelton has a lot of league games this week and they did not throw their top pitcher against us. They threw a young girl and we hit her hard.

She never lets anything get to her. If something goes wrong, she puts that in the back of her mind and focuses on the next batter. She's really unbelievable. She's not going to blow you away as a pitcher. She's more of a finesse pitcher. But she's a smart pitcher and she's not going to lose. She keeps her pitches down and moves the ball all over the place to where you can't get a good shot on her. She's fun to watch out there.

She (Johnson) knows as a pitcher she has to help herself. She knows she has to step up and she normally does.

She really kept the ball low. I thought the pitcher was outstanding.

She pitcher very well. She had four walks, but she scattered them. For the first time this season, we played a complete game. We had timely hits and the defense was very, very solid.

She has a really good, quick bat. She's a good person for us to have at DH for the pitcher or for someone else.

She comes prepared all of the time and is an outstanding pitcher that wants to dominate the game. She definitely has a presence when she walks on the mound that she is going to dominate you.

Whenever you've got your pitcher out there throwing strikes, you've got to come up with some big plays sometimes to help the pitchers out.

When he is not pitching he can play anywhere. He is really invaluable to this team not only is he the No. 1 pitcher he is just a utility player that can play anywhere else.

Mainly, he puts every pitcher in a comfort zone.

Luke has really developed as a strong pitcher since coming here. Bobby Mack is a right-hander who is a solid pitcher and we'll use him out of the bullpen.

So far this year that's one thing we've been good at. We come out of the chute and put some runs on the board. The starting pitcher gets something to work with and we keep pushing.

Sean did a great job changing speeds against a lineup 1-9 that is as tough as you will see. He made them swing the bat, and then you make some plays and it gives the pitcher confidence.

She's minimizing her mistakes and she's starting to understand what a mistake is. She's learning how to pitch, and she's got the tools and the pitches to be a good pitcher if she just minimizes her mistakes and learns how to pitch.

She's not an overpowering pitcher but she pitches in spots and hits her spots well. I think she was trying a little too hard today which got her out of the rhythm a little bit. Sometimes in a big rivalry game, you push a little too much.

She's definitely stronger than she was last year, some of her pitches are moving a lot better and she's stronger. The second half of the year, everyone should be healthy, hopefully, so if I can get one more pitcher (back), things look promising.

She's the best pitcher we've had, by far. Back in her freshman year, she was the first pitcher we had . . . we could call any pitch on any count, and even as a freshman, you were 60-percent confident she was gonna hit her spot.

She's a strikeout pitcher and knows how to locate her pitches. She's not playing like a freshman right now, she's hitting her spots and moving the ball around.

She's getting stronger. She's been a quality pitcher for the last three years.

She's great. Today, I think she threw the ball the best she has all year. Anytime a pitcher has 19 strikeouts, you have to be happy.

She's pretty tough. She's probably the number one or number two pitcher in the league right now. She's pretty good and she's just a sophomore. She can bring some heat and she mixes her pitches well.

When I have two strikes, I feel free, ... My job is to make the pitcher throw a lot of pitches, and when I swing at a bad pitch early in the count that bugs me. Once I get to two strikes and I swing at a bad pitch, I don't mind it at all.

I'm not really a pitcher; I just play one in the movies.

I hate really making excuses for what happened, but he didn't catch many breaks. Jeremy didn't have things go his way. He's a pinpoint control pitcher and just fell behind a couple of hitters and didn't execute a perfect game plan.

Groff kept making good pitches to get out of jams, and we made some good defensive plays to help her out. She's the kind of a pitcher who can get herself out of a jam with one pitch because she gets so many ground balls, and we're going to turn two when you hit one at somebody.

Guessing what the pitcher is going to throw is eighty percent of being a successful hitter. The other twenty percent is just execution.

(Key West) had a tough week this week, but (starting pitcher Daniel) Foltz pitched a good game. It was good to be in this type of pressure situation.

Jake's a gamer. He's a big-game pitcher with an outstanding future.

He left some pitches up, and they're a good-hitting team. They certainly took advantage of every pitch he didn't hit a spot on. Give them credit. I think they played well. I thought they came out and swung the bats well. I thought we competed. Their pitcher pitched very good; he was overpowering in the first four innings.

He is the only pitcher I went (behind the cage) to see. I hope he didn't mind that.

He is the strongest-minded pitcher I've ever played with. He has the ability to put pain and discomfort behind him and focus on nothing but the catcher's mitt. He's amazing.

I am so happy for Matt. He really earned this opportunity. He had a dominating season. He was the top pitcher in the league last year and now he's being rewarded for it.

I can't say anything bad about his performance. Justin threw an incredible game and their pitcher did, too. When both throw that well, it comes down to the little things. And we missed a couple of opportunities.

I can't really do anything different based on the importance of the game, ... Even though it's the playoffs, you're going to get 85, 86, 87 (mph) on the corners. I'm not going to strike too many people out, not going to give up too many runs. I just keep us in the game and battle. I need some runs. I need hitting. That's just the kind of pitcher I am.

Freed had a rocky first inning and then really settled down and threw well. We had some opportunities tonight and just couldn't get the big hit. I thought we competed hard and we look forward to seeing them again in the future. Ueno is a solid pitcher and throws hard. She has a good off speed pitch.

I don't think any pitcher really likes those situations, but I wouldn't want everything to be easy during spring. I still need to get my endurance. I was real tired that last inning.

For me, the biggest thing was just getting all the wows out of the way, and that was mostly stuff like the new cities and stadiums and facing a certain great pitcher here or there, ... Better to do it now than next year. We want to be winning right off the bat.

I feel more comfortable batting second because I see more fastballs. That's the difference from batting eighth. You see a lot of breaking balls because of the pitcher (coming up).

I feel like I'm 24 again. I had the game taken away from me last year. I feel rejuvenated. I've got peace of mind knowing that the knee is fine, and I'm looking forward to going out there because it's like I dropped off the radar. I was a pretty good pitcher before last year, you know.

I feel even if we don't win another game, we beat Superman in the ninth inning. The kind of pitcher (Hoffman) is, probably the game is over.

I feel good about our chances (Saturday). We've got a good pitcher on the mound, and hopefully we can swing the bats a little better.

I always wanted to get off the field as quick as I could. It's easier for everybody and it's more fun. I played behind Maddux a little bit (in Atlanta in 1998-99) and you knew that on any pitch, the (hitter) was going to put the ball in play. You enjoy the game a little bit more when you have a pitcher like that.

If we start on Tuesday, the starting pitcher could be this guy; if we start on Wednesday, it could be a different guy.