Clint Hurdle Quotations

More can be learned from adversity than when everything good happens. They realize they were short in areas, went down to (Class AAA) Colorado Springs, addressed the shortcomings and came back.

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.

Only Glaus seemed to have the right book on Cook. We're fortunate he didn't share it with the rest of the team.

I wish him good things. Our book is closed.

I would hate anything to aggravate (the injury) this late in the season.

If we get that kind of effort (one run allowed by Jennings in seven innings) from our starting pitching, we are going to be in good shape.

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 had been looking for that big hit, big swing for quite some time. I was looking for that at-bat since the fourth inning.

Obviously, we set the bar very high on the road, and we need to play better at home. We know that. When you don't pitch, hit or play defense, it's very difficult to win.

One of the toughest things to do as a man in anything is to slow down when we're not doing what we think we should be doing. As men, we want to step on the gas. That's a defining point. It's a growth thing for me. It's the next step into a player becoming more entrenched at the Major League level, to have the ability to slow the game down.

One of the areas (Freeman) has had to target and work hard to improve on are (pitches) tight on him and things spinning away from him. Obviously we'd like to get him on base and see if we can get him in motion a little bit.

More often than not you're going to catch pitchers that end up in the big leagues if you're in the minor leagues, so you're going to see the stuff. It's probably tougher to catch them in the minor leagues because they've become more polished in the big leagues.

Plus, to challenge him. We got to remember what we're trying to accomplish over here, regardless of what the other team's trying to accomplish. He had some adversity and I thought he bounced back pretty well through it all.

Nothing bodes confidence like success. Once you get a feel for it, it reaffirms how much you like it.

Nobody's under a magnifying glass. You put somebody under a magnifying glass long enough, you burn them. The guys that didn't pitch well, they know who they are. Through honest self-evaluation, they'll see their location and the adjustments they need to make the next time out. That'll be the critical area to watch.

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.

Obviously, the one inning got away from him. He didn't throw strikes. He can fine-tune that, and for him to take the next step, that's an issue he's going to have to address this season. It's always been a little bit of a rock in his shoe, the walks at times, especially the quick ones, the four-pitch ones.

Numbers speaking, he made one error the whole time he was at shortstop, which speaks volumes. He handled himself remarkably well. He showed major-league poise.

Right now, ... anything I'd say is speculation.

I didn't agree. But I have never seen them change a call yet.

I don't know -- that'll all go into the final evaluation. Clean innings would be a big plus. There's something to be said for getting out of them. But when you have men on base, they're going to score sooner or later. He's done a fine job so far.

I don't know that we want to stretch him out further than that. . . . He doesn't have an old body. He seems to be pretty physically fit.

If we can go 7-4 every 11 games, we'll be in good shape.

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

Let's do it for Maddie, really, was one of the big reasons,

We made a lot of mistakes, though, through the game to put us in that position. I don't think you can hang the (goat) horns on Brian.

The pitch to Bonds wasn't quite over the plate. But with him if it's up, he can get it. And he crushed it.

We need better from him. He's capable of better. He knows he should be better. I talked to him a little bit during the game and then again after the game. ... He's capable of better. We've all seen better. He needs to take the momentum from the last two innings and roll that into his next start.

We need cleaner innings from the bullpen. He has had a lot of people on base when he has been out there.

Maybe we can give him some things to work on over the winter that will make him a little more fundamentally sound on offense.

Luis is having some difficulties getting anything going at the plate. He's not where he needs to be or where he can be offensively, yet. He's 0-for-7 off this guy lifetime. It's a manager's decision.

I have a contract here and I'm big on loyalty. I'm big on my word.

Kim was very efficient with his pitches. He's so confident right now.

Guys that are able to play, we'll get out there and play, and guys that aren't able to play, we'll pray for them and hope they get better.

has hit the ball harder with more consistency than anyone on this ballclub. Anytime you have Todd Helton on your ballclub, that's something.

He is well aware he has come out of the gate slow and then gotten on a roll by the end of May. He is not happy with it, and we think there is better there. We know there is better there. It is up to him.

I don't believe he's lost a whole lot.

I enjoyed seeing the emotion. I enjoyed seeing that it hasn't become commonplace (for the Braves). They had an infusion of youth this year.

For us to win four consecutive road series, especially with this group, speaks a little bit about the effort being put forth and the results.

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.

For me, where I'm really going with it right now is he's just not pitching well right now.

I believe the longer he goes without one, the more he's due.

But we played better than the other team tonight. We won by one run.

I don't care who you are, if you get called out publicly, it affects your focus and concentration. You can say it doesn't and you can try your hardest not to let it seep into your work or what you do. But that's something out of his control that also got thrown onto his plate that he needed to deal with.

Because they're capable of doing it. And obviously I think the other team would be the first one to tell you, they're not pitching like they can or like they need to. They're probably leaving balls up over the plate. We're getting some balls to hit, and we're hitting them.

I had a script but didn't need it. There's no chance for this to work unless his head and heart are in the right place, and they are. He's not a 23-year-old kid pushing the older guy out of the rotation, and he realizes that.

Having a winning record at home or avoiding finishing last weren't motivating factors for us. When you are 27 games under .500, can we really expect to be better at home?

Here's a guy that has been through so much over the past year. He's put all that behind him to become a very confident pitcher. Tonight his confidence in his sinker helped him get 13 groundball outs.

When he plants his front foot and really stays behind his swing, he's got a little gap power. How it plays out, time will tell, but he has the ability to hit a ball out of the ballpark.

What would you do if you were manager, and you brought a man into the office and you challenged him across the board, and he answered? You're getting my answer by looking at the lineup.

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.

We've got to play and win games. That's the best answer to all the baggage that any group will carry here that plays in Colorado from the previous records. This group has an opportunity to define itself and separate themselves from some of that baggage.

He very well could, if he pitches well enough, ... That's been mapped out for him, told him he could have that opportunity.

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.

He didn't pitch down enough. He didn't throw his sinker enough. He has to remember he is a sinkerball pitcher.

He didn't crack. It was a good outing for him, not having his best stuff and the conditions as they were with the wind, and to keep making pitches through the four innings and put zeros on the board, it was a good outing.

I am having a blast watching Stewart play. That is a big day with a couple of hits coming off left-hand arms. He struck balls well in the big part of the ballpark. He is a good looking young player.

He understands the mentality of why we use him in the ninth in close ballgames because he's the best pitcher we have available out there,

He is capable of better and we need better from him. We know and he knows he can deliver better. I talked with him during the game and after the game. Sometimes you have confidence in your ability and wait for things to happen. And sometimes you have to make things happen.

He is completely healed, and with his ability we believe he'll keep improving. I believe that. He believes that, and his teammates believe in him.

He is confident, but he has a lot of humility to go with the confidence.

He is a part of our future and I know he can turn this into a great learning experience.

He is as good as any catcher I played with or had on my team. He has top-shelf skills defensively.

He's had a nice (hitting) streak. Has he been hotter? Yes,

He has a history. There was nothing that surprised us.

He says he feels fine. We'll monitor it. He's going to get some rest.

He has hit everywhere he has ever been, so why shouldn't he hit here . . . . He is just a real good hitter.

He has hit his way into the lineup. We liked him when we got him and he has made us like him even more.

He has made progress every time he has gone out and played, ... We need to see if he fits with us going into 2006. We're pretty set with (right fielder Brad) Hawpe and (left fielder) Holliday.

He has been a very pleasant pickup for us. He has velocity (92-95 mph) on his fastball, tilt on his slider, a pretty good change for left-handers and every once in a while he drops that hook. He's made an impression.

He hasn't been tested with any kind of competition on the line in two weeks. He's going to have to go through a two inning stint one time, pitch back-to-back days. So there's some distance in front of him.

He hasn't pitched in three days and there was discomfort in his shoulder. Obviously, something's not 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.

He was up more than he was down.

His voice was stronger. He got a big kick out of the game last night. He sent text messages to the players after.

Hitting a Major League baseball. I wasn't that good at either one. I think I've got the marriage thing nailed down now and that took me three tries. I know I can't hit the fastball anymore.

His strikeouts are a little alarming for his number of at-bats,

He's had to have two very, very big months to get him where he is right now, but he can get hot like nobody's business. At times, I think he fed off the energy that the young players brought when he was going through his tough times.

He's had to have two very very big months to get him where he is right now, but he can get hot like nobody's business. He's probably learned some very valuable lessons through this year. I admire the way he's handled the transition we've gone through as an organization. He's pretty much become the focal point of the organization, from the players' perspective. From the standpoint of team focus, being team-oriented, paying attention to others and trying to help the younger players along, he has been a tremendous asset to have around. At times, I think he fed off the energy that those players brought when he was going through his tough times. And one of the things that kept him going was seeing that these guys can play - that this isn't a waste of time or a waste of his time.

He's healthy, which is saying a lot. Physically and mentally, he's in a better position than he has been in for a long time.

He's hit some balls up here at this level that he didn't sniff in the past. Anything down, hard and away, anything down spinning away, he's really worked hard to make some adjustments, and it's really nice to see a guy that's worked that hard.

He's kind of playing behind, catching up, as far as seeing pitches. He saw a number of pitches today.

He's doing fine. He knows he has the freedom to play, be smart but be aggressive. We don't want to see him with a hesitant nature. We want him to play like he's 6 and playing in the backyard. He's done some nice things. He's fun to watch.

He's fun to watch. He's an interesting kid. How can you not love him? How can you not love to watch him play? The passion he brings and the energy.

He's been working on an assortment of pitches to use if that opportunity is ever presented to him. I think he's wasting his time.

He's going to be a welcome addition to our club. He'll just be later than earlier.

He's gong to have to pick it up and finish with a flurry.

He moved around pretty well. It wasn't in a game-like situation, but we tried to create some situations where he had to get off the mound and cover bases, and everything went pretty well.

(Helton) has set the bar very high. If he goes out and does what he is capable of doing it will be an outstanding season both offensively and defensively.

He made some mistakes, but from the fourth inning on, he located the ball.

He made them hit the ball on the ground with regularity. He made some good pitches.

He had a lot of good things going on tonight. He worked both sides of the plate. He was never behind in the count.

He is a ballplayer. He takes a lot of pride in what he is asked to do. He is comfortable with who he is and the skills he has.

He has that strikeout pitch. When you can strike people out you can paint yourself into a corner because you have that way to get out of it.

He has said the same thing for three outings. I'd like to see him make an adjustment. . . . We have people in Colorado who have seen it, but it's been awhile. If he knows what's wrong, God bless him. Fix it. It's been a long time since Zach Day has pitched well.

He hit his spots, had a good split and worked his fastball on both sides of the plate. We're not on top of our game offensively and he didn't make it any easier on us.

He needs to find a way to knock some of that rust off. And, hopefully, he did (Thursday).

He made nice strides this spring. He just needs to keep making the strides that he made. There was a point in time last season where we were having trouble throwing the ball around the infield. Now he threw the ball accurately, his release times were quick and efficient. I think he swung the bat efficiently. He's using his off-gap again from both sides. He had a good spring.

He experienced every emotion. He pitches well at times. He learned to battle and survive at times. He didn't back down from anything. He carried his load.

He got off to a good run, but his command has become a little more inconsistent of late. He's got a history of issues with command. If his command doesn't get to be above average, he will fall in the line of a lot of pitchers who will show you a good game once in a while, and then you wonder why they don't have more success.