Matt Holliday Quotations

Personally, it felt good, but this is a team. It's a team game and to do your job is gratifying, to do things to help your team win is gratifying and I was able to do that tonight.

I'd make the same play. I'd just throw it about a foot lower. I got a little excited and thought we had a force there. It just kind of sailed on me. Somehow it found the dugout, but oh well. We won.

Most of us are pretty good friends and we've played together a lot, so I think if anybody goes through ups and downs or needs advice, or needs just a friend to talk to, I feel like I can be that guy for them,

I'd do the same thing if it was my decision.

I couldn't pick up his fastball. I just had trouble with him.

I don't want to be considered a leader based on what people think goes on in the clubhouse.

I believe the relationships and emotions you experience when you have success are the things that last forever.

He's a good pitcher, ... But you always feel like you have a good chance against the guy. He's not overpowering. He has to pitch to get outs, and he lost his command a little bit in that one inning.

I looked up after six or seven guys had hit and saw we got one out. That was me.

I looked up there after the first six or seven guys and thought, 'We've got one out, and that was me,'

He wants you to have that slow breaking ball of his in the back of your mind so he can sneak his fastball in on you. He pitched me tough. I might have swung at some bad pitches, but he gets the credit.

Having experienced things going on two years now, I'm not a veteran by any means, but I feel like maybe I have some advice to offer.

I think I just learned that God has a plan for all of us, and I work hard and do all the things I can, but at the same time, His will is perfect; and me trying to control it, it's not going to work.

I think that's just the way Todd is. He's just a perfectionist. He could be hitting .400 but in his mind he thinks he's not doing enough because he's missing pitches or not doing the things he should. He's not happy with a 2-for-4, 2-for-5. He wants to go 4-for-4 every day.

It hit a pole at the bottom of the fence and shot toward center field. You can't anticipate anything like that happening.

I was a pretty normal high school kid. I just loved to play sports and had opportunities, and the Lord blessed me with talent, and I just tried to take advantage of it.

I was beating myself and just kind of got into a mental rut, ... Obviously, my swing timing wasn't too good, but I think it all starts with the mental part, not being able to turn the page from day to day. So I guess you could say I learned to forget.

When it's one game, especially at this time of year when hitters are still trying to feel their way through it a little bit, it's tough. As a hitter, you're not quite locked in yet.

We can't get all tight because we haven't scored that many runs or whatever. It's just three games. Obviously today was not what we want the rest of the season to be like so you just try to turn the page on this one pretty quick.

We've got some good hitters who aren't necessarily all-or-nothing hitters. I'm mostly sitting on fastballs the whole time and reacting to the off-speed stuff.

We're at that level of knowing we can play here and play well at this level. You hate to get really excited ...

I've been working on timing and getting my hands in the right position, just trying to get that feel back. It's hard to explain. You can do it in batting practice and you can do it in the cage, but to get in the game and to be able to settle your nerves a little bit and get in that mode when you can still get your swing off when the velocity picks up and you start facing off-speed pitches. I'm trying to find that rhythm, that timing.

I understand I'm a sinner. I'm not perfect, and I need a Savior, and that I'm not going to make it to Heaven on merits and doing good things.

What Todd went through was an aberration. He makes it easier for me and (Atkins) because he's on base every time we come up.

Ortiz left a fastball up and away from me. I worked the count to 3-2 to see some more pitches and finally got one I could handle and drive.

No problem for me. I've got nothing to hide. That's the second time for me (including an MLB test), so I'm used to it.

They put him out there; I didn't put him out there, ... They count the same to me.

I'm very concerned. Any time you have to go to the hospital, it's never a good thing. When I leave here, I'm going to see if I can call him.

I'm very prepared and very comfortable to take on any role they ask me to take on as far as leadership goes, as far as being out in the public,

I just went on contact, as soon as I saw the downward angle on the ball. Good thing it wasn't hit that hard.

Anytime you win a road trip, you've got to take it. We're playing pretty well. This one just got away.

I think my parents did a great job of reminding me that I wasn't as big a deal as maybe I thought I was at times.

I know him real well. I'm happy he got called up.

In the second half last year, we played better, and we should build off that. We have a lot of second-year players. I know for myself that, in your first year, you go out wondering if you really belong, and your second year, you come back knowing you can play at this level. You aren't wondering if you belong. You are looking for ways to step forward as a team.

But you have to give some credit to Brian Lawrence , and that bullpen is pretty tough. We needed to find a way to scratch out runs and we didn't do it.

I didn't know that. I don't know that there's an explanation for that. We'll hit a few here.

It was kind of humbling. It's fun with these type games. When you're on the winning side, it's fun. When you're on the losing side, it's terrible.

It was nice to be able to at least get a hit, and the home run was icing on the cake.

It's more gratifying to do things that help the team win. Personally it feels good, but at the same time it's a team game. To be able to do your job is gratifying. To be able to do things to help the team win is gratifying. I was able to do that tonight.

That's a good count with him, where I know a fastball's coming, ... You definitely have an advantage, and I was able to get just enough of it.

That's a good count with him, where I know a fastball's coming. You definitely have an advantage, and I was able to get just enough of it.

It was business as usual. Obviously we miss them. They're great players. But we still have to come out and do our jobs.

We're going out and playing relaxed. Getting some early momentum on the road is good for confidence, too. We're confident on the road.

It was important for us to win. You send the fans away with a couple wins and there were big crowds with the series against the Giants. You hope that brings them back and establishes some momentum against the Giants, who we play a whole bunch more times.

I don't think any time you run into your teammate it can be too positive. But maybe it did jostle something loose.

I don't like the idea of 'I've played nine years, I've made some All-Star teams, I make the most money. I've got to be a leader.' That doesn't make you a leader. Treating people the right way is more important.

I'm not a guy that sets a number of goals. If I can go out and continue to have a consistent approach every day and get to where I feel comfortable enough. Then I go into a game, relax and play, the numbers will take care of themselves.

I try to work hard. I try to set a good example. I don't look at it as though I've got to be a leader. I just try to behave the way I think I should behave. If that results in a leadership role, great.

I'm just enjoying playing baseball in the major leagues.

I never really worried about stats in the minor leagues. I was more concerned with getting better and bringing a positive attitude every day.

I just go out every day and try to work hard.

I'm excited about where I am right now.

You get into pro ball and you realize all the guys were the best players on their teams. You have to keep moving forward.

You have to look past the cool things and play the game. That's why you're here, to play the game.

A lot of people wanted me to play college football, but I wanted to get started playing pro baseball.

I'm not that big of a partier. I wasn't concerned about missing out on things in college.

I feel like I've been blessed with some athletic ability and I'd like to take advantage of it.

I want to keep things simple and keep my energy focused on moving forward.

I had some tough times. Now that I look back on it, I'm very grateful for those times. I know now that I needed them. But at the time you think, 'Man, I wish I could just get to the major leagues!'

I'm taking (the training) a little more seriously than I normally would to speed up the process. I don't care if people say I was a surprise pick. I feel like it's an honor and the people who made the decision to put me on the team know what they are talking about. To play for your country is something you can hold on to the rest of your life.

I think I forgot, more than I learned anything,

We had a lot of adversity, but we found a way.