I can remember a reporter asking for a quote, and I didn't know what a quote was. I thought it was some kind of soft drink. - Joe DiMaggio, on life as a 20-year-old rookie in 1936 Sometimes they write what I say and not what I mean. - Pedro Guerrero on those in the press box The only real game, I think, is baseball. - Babe Ruth You have to beleive in your stuff ... and be convicted to each pitch. - Tyler Walker on taking over the closer's role You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you, too. - Roy Campanella Doctors tell me I have the body of a 30-year-old. I know that I have the brain of a 15-year-old. If you’ve got both, you can play baseball. - Pete Rose He looks like he’s 15, plays like he’s 25 and has the maturity of a man of 30. - Twins Manager Gene Mauch, on Butch Wynegar When you’re 21, you’re a prospect. When you’re 30, you’re a suspect. - Jim McGlothin Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter. - Satchel Paige Every time I sign a ball, and there must have been thousands, I thank my luck that I wasn’t born Coveleski, or Wambsgnass or Peckinpaugh. - Mell Ott When I was a little kid, teachers used to punish me by making me sign my name 100 times. - Willie Wilson Any ballplayer that don’t sign autographs for little kids ain’t an American. He’s a communist. - Rogers Hornsby Everybody in the park knows he’s going to run, and he makes it anyway. - Larry Bowa on Lou Brock How can anyone as slow as you pull a muscle? - Pete Rose to teammate Tony Perez A good base stealer should make the whole infield jumpy. Whether you steal or not, you’re changing the rhythm of the game. If the pitcher is concerned about you, he isn’t concentrating enough on the batter. - Joe Morgan He looks like a greyhound, but he runs like a bus. - George Brett on Jamie Quirk If my uniform doesn’t get dirty, I haven’t done anything in the baseball game. - Ricky Henderson Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer. - Ted Williams Trying to sneak a pitch past Hank Aaron is like trying to sneak the sunrise past a rooster. - Joe Adcock There have been only two geniuses in the world: Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare. - Tallulah Bankhead He’s got power enough to hit home runs in any park, including Yellowstone. - Sparky Anderson on Willie Stargell He could hit .300 with a fountain pen. - Joe Garagiola on teammate Stan Musial I might be shy, but in the field, where I have to do my work, I do it. I let my bat speak for myself. - Vladimir Guerrero I believe he’s been reincarnated, that he played before, in the 20s and 30s, and he’s back to prove something. - Mark McGwire on Albert Pujols George Brett could roll out of bed on Christmas morning and hit a line drive. - Royals GM John Schuerholtz He once hit a ball between my legs so hard that my center fielder caught it on the fly backing up against the wall. - Dizzy Dean on fellow Hall of Famer Bill Terry My own little rule was two for one. If one of my teammates got knocked down, then I knocked down two on the other team. - Don Drysdale I heard he could hit. - Bob Gibson’s reply to Hank Aaron on why John Milner was beaned I’ll tell you what, if he hit a home run off Gibson or Drysdale and stood and admired it, they’d knock that earring out of his ear the next time up. - NL Umpire Doug Harvey on Barry Bonds It’s always the same; Combs walks, Koening singles, Ruth hits one out of the park, Gehrig doubles, Lazzeri triples. Then Dugan goes in the dirt on his can. - Joe Dugan on batting in “Murderer’s Row” lineup of the 1920s I hated to bat against Drysdale. After he hit you he’d come around, look at the bruise on your arm and say, ‘Do you want me to sign it?’ - Mickey Mantle If you don’t think baseball is a big deal, don’t do it. But if you do it, do it right. - Tom Seaver I’m a ballplayer, not an actor. - Joe DiMaggio, on why he always looked so serious I never smile when I have a bat in my hands. That’s when you’ve got to be serious. When I get out in the field, nothing’s a joke to me. I don’t feel I should walk around with a smile on my face. - Hank Aaron If somebody came up and hit .450, stole 100 bases and performed a miracle in the field every day, I’d still look you in the eye and say Willie Mays was better. - NY Giants Manager Leo Durocher The fans don’t see it, because we make it look so efficient, but internally, for a guy to be successful, you have to be like a clock spring – wound but loose at the same time. - Dave Winfield The severity of injuries on a pain scale doesn’t compare in baseball and hockey. If you talked to a hockey player about having a bone spur or a bone chip, he’d laugh. - Canadian pitcher Kirk McCaskill Like I say, it’s almost embarrassing to talk about. I don’t know if Michael Jordan or Bill Gates or Alexander the Great or anyone is worth this type of money, but that’s the market we’re in today. That’s what Mr. Hicks decided to pay me, and now it’s time to pay him back and win a couple championships. - Alex Rodriguez What happens is that all your life you operated businesses in such a way that you could one day afford to buy a baseball team. And then you buy the team and forget all the business practices that enabled you to buy it. - George Steinbrenner The bigger the contract, the bigger the responsibility. - Pedro Martinez There was a time when the National League stood for integrity and fair dealing. Today it stands for dollars and cents. Once it looked to the elevation of the game and an honest exhibition of the sport; today its eyes are on the turnstile… Players have been bought, sold and exchanged as though they were sheep instead of American citizens. - Hall of Famer John Montgomery Ward Baseball has prostituted itself. Pretty soon we’ll be starting games at midnight so the people in outer space can watch on prime time. We’re making a mistake be always going for more money. - Padre’s then owner Ray Kroc, 1977 If I were sitting down with George Steinbrenner … I’d have to say, ‘George, you and I are about to become partners. - Joe DiMaggio They know when to cheer and they know when to boo. And they know when to drink beer. They do it all the time. - Gorman Thomas on Milwaukee fans You’re trying your damndest, you strike out they boo you. I act like it doesn’t bother me, like I don’t hear anything the fans say, but the truth is I hear every word of it and it kills me. - Mike Schmidt on Philadelphia fans I don’t care who you are, you hear those boos. - Mickey Mantle I’ve never heard a crowd boo a homer, but I’ve heard plenty of boos after a strike out. - Babe Ruth Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for U.S. Steel. - Comic Joe E. Lewis Breaks like a ball falling off a pool table. - Manager Lou Durocher on the flight of a good curveball His curveball, it jelly-legs you. - Jim Thome on Barry Zito The secret to all of them is they’re thrown so hard. That’s what makes his slider, or Carlton’s or mine different from all the other ones. Because we throw hard, it looks like a fastball. - Ron Guidry, on Randy Johnson Hitters always have one thing in mind – they have to protect themselves against the fastball. If they’re not ready for the fastball, a pitcher will throw it right by them. If they’re ready for the fastball and don’t get it, they can adjust to the breaking ball. But with a screwball, it isn’t the break that fools the hitter, it’s the change of speed. They don’t time it. - Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell It is a grueling position. My knees will tell you that. I’ve had nine knee surgeries. I’ve had a couple of broken thumbs, one on each hand. I can look back at it and say it’s worth it to be enshrined in Cooperstown. I don’t have any pain in my knees right now. - Gary Carter Catching is much like managing. Managers don’t really win games, but they can lose plenty of them. The same way with catching. - Bob Boone A good catcher is the quarterback, the carburetor, the lead dog, the pulse taker, the traffic cop and sometimes a lot of unprintable things, but no team gets very far without one. - NYY Hall of Fame Manager Miller Huggins That isn’t an arm, that’s a rifle. - Gene Tenace on Johnny Bench I don’t recall the name, but you sure were a sucker for a high curve inside. - Bill Dickey to another former player By the end of the season, I feel like a used car. - Bob Brenly I don’t want them to forget Ruth. I just want them to remember me. - Hank Aaron, on closing in on 714 They just say they’ll be disappointed if anyone tops Babe Ruth. But if I do, I expect someone to top me one day. - Hank Aaron Maybe I’m not a great man, but I damn well want to break the record. - Roger Maris As a ballplayer, I would be delighted to do it again. As an individual, I doubt if I could possibly go through it again. - Roger Maris, on hitting 61 It’s the most overused word in baseball. When my teams have gone well, it has been said I’m a good communicator. When they have gone bad, it has been said I’ve lost the ability to communicate. But the truth is, through all of it, I have been my same obnoxious self. - Sand Diego Manager Dick Williams When you’re winning, they say you have aggressive players when they spout off. When you’re losing, they call it dissension. - Veteran player/Manager Harry Walker Dissension? We got no dissension. What we ain’t got is pitchers. - Brooklyn catcher Roy Campanella There are two things about them. If you don’t have any, it’s bad. If you have too many, it’s worse. - Felipe Alou on the value of team meetings My father is 85 years old. He says the last time the Cubs were in the World Series he had tickets, but General George Patton wouldn’t let him go. He had to go fight World War II. - Cubs fan Harvey Brown Things were so bad in Chicago last summer that by the fifth inning we were selling hot dogs to go. - White Sox pitcher Ken Brett If I was going to storm a pillbox, going to sheer, utter, certain death, and the colonel said, ‘Shepherd, pick six guys,’ I’d pick White Sox fans, because they have known death every day of their lives and it holds no terror for them. - Humorist Jean Shepherd Chicago, Second City no more. - Paul Konerko, on winning in 2005 George Hendrick simply lost that sun-blown pop-up. - Broadcaster Jerry Coleman He slides into second with a stand-up double. - Jerry Coleman It’s a cold night out tonight. The Padres better warm up real good because it’s stiff out there. - Jerry Coleman Rich Folkers is throwing up in the bullpen. - Jerry Coleman There’s a fly ball to center field. Winfield is going back, back… He hits his head against the wall… It’s rolling towards second base… - Jerry Coleman Unless I’m mistaken, we’ve won four straight before. - Johnny Damon (with Red Sox in 2004) The death toll in New England will be catastrophic. There are so many old people saying, ‘I can’t die until the I see them win the World Series.’ They are all going to die. It’s going to be worse than the Black Plague. - Red Sox fan Paul Sullivan When people thank you for doing something, you begin to realize how truly blessed you were to have been put in that position. - Jason Varitek So, like, what took you so long? - President George W. Bush upon greeting the champion Red Sox in 2004 When he punched Keith Hernandez in spring training last season, it was the only time that Strawberry would hit the cut-off man all year. - Sportswriter Steve Wulf They should’ve called a welder. - Richie Ashburn on Dave Kingman getting his glove repaired Because you’re a .399 fielder. - St. Louis Manager Billy Southwork to his .400-hitting rookie Don Padgett, who was riding the bench He plays the outfield like he’s trying to catch grenades. - Reggie Jackson on Claudell Washington It’s not that Reggie is a bad outfielder. He just has trouble judging the ball and picking it up. - NY Manager Billy Martin They wanted me to play third base like Brooks, so I did play like Brooks – Mel Brooks. - Andy Van Slyke, on his early career with the Cardinals Me and Paul will probably win 40 games this year. - Dizzy Dean, in 1934, about his brother and him (they won 49) If I had known what Paul was gonna do, I would have pitched one too. - Dizzy Dean, throwing a 1-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader, and his brother threw a no-hitter in the second Heck, if somebody told me I was setting a record I’d of got me some more strikeouts. - Dizzy Dean, on setting the NL record of 17 Ks in 1933 Son, what kind of a pitch would you like to miss? - Dizzy Dean to a batter he struck out all day It ain’t bragging if you can do it. - Dizzy Dean Sure, old Diz knows the King’s English. And not only that, I also know the Queen is English. - Dizzy Dean in response to a radio caller The runners have returned to their respectable bases. - Standard Dizzy Dean line Ted Kluszewski was on third. Somebody like Odrowski on second, maybe Timowitz on first. Boy, I was sweatin’, hopin’ nobody’d get a hit and I wouldn’t have to call all those names. - Dizzy Dean, on broadcasting Well, Pee Wee, I’ve been watching him for four innings and I believe that’s a baseball he’s throwing. - Dizzy Dean, in response to Reese’s query on ‘what’s he throwing out there?’ A hot dog at the ballpark is better than steak at the Ritz. - Humphrey Bogart I’ve seen him order everything on the menu except ‘Thank you for dining with us.’ - Jerry Royster on teammate Dale Murphy Butch Husky might be the most appropriately named person in baseball since Cliff Ditto managed the minor-league team in Walla Walla, Washington - Mets GM Joe McIlvaine on a young 244-pound outfielder Jeter is a six-tool player. I’ve never eaten with him so I can’t tell you if has good table manners, but I would imagine he has those, too. - Rangers Manager Johnny Oates All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street, folks will say, ‘There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived.’ - Ted Williams If I’d just tried for them dinky singles I could’ve batted around .600 - Babe Ruth I wish he were still playing. I’d probably crack his head open to show him how valuable I was. - Roger Clemens responding to Hank Aaron stating pitchers shouldn’t win MVP It’s called talent. I just have it. I can’t explain it. You either have it or you don’t. - Barry Bonds The only reason I don’t like playing in the World Series is I can’t watch myself play. - Reggie Jackson If they worked as hard at their jobs as I do at mine, this country wouldn’t have the inflation problem it has now. - Twin reliever Mike Marshall I don’t talk about it, but I know the numbers of some of the shortstops in there and mine are better. - Barry Larkin I’d like to be remembered. I’d like to think that someday two guys will be talking in a bar and one of them will say something like, ‘Yeah, he’s a good shortstop, but he’s not as good as ole Ripken was.’ - Cal Ripken Jr. They can say whatever they want to say, but it is going to be hard, my friend, to duplicate me. - Sammy Sosa I won more games than you ever saw. - Cy Young, at an old-timers game, to a reporter xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx - xxxxxxxx |
"This is like deja vu all over again." "You can observe a lot just by watching." "He must have made that before he died." -- Referring to a Steve McQueen movie. "I want to thank you for making this day necessary." -- On Yogi Berra Appreciation Day in St. Louis in 1947. "I'd find the fellow who lost it, and, if he was poor, I'd return it." -- When asked what he would do if he found a million dollars. "Think! How the hell are you gonna think and hit at the same time?" "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." "I knew I was going to take the wrong train, so I left early." "If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else." "If you can't imitate him, don't copy him." "You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six." "Baseball is 90% mental -- the other half is physical." "It was impossible to get a conversation going; everybody was talking too much." "Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting." "A nickel isn't worth a dime today." "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded." "It gets late early out there." -- Referring to the bad sun conditions in left field at the stadium. "Glen Cove." -- Referring to Glenn Close on a movie review television show. Once, Yogi's wife Carmen asked, "Yogi, you are from St. Louis, we live in New Jersey, and you played ball in New York. If you go before I do, where would you like me to have you buried?" Yogi replied, "Surprise me." "Do you mean now?" -- When asked for the time. "I take a two hour nap, from one o'clock to four." "If you come to a fork in the road, take it." "You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough in the second half you give what's left." "90% of the putts that are short don't go in." "I made a wrong mistake." "Texas has a lot of electrical votes." -- During an election campaign, after George Bush stated that Texas was important to the election. "Thanks, you don't look so hot yourself." -- After being told he looked cool. "I always thought that record would stand until it was broken." "Yeah, but we're making great time!" -- In reply to "Hey Yogi, I think we're lost." "If the fans don't come out to the ball park, you can't stop them." "Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel." "It's never happened in the World Series competition, and it still hasn't." "How long have you known me, Jack? And you still don't know how to spell my name." -- Upon receiving a check from Jack Buck made out to "bearer." "I'd say he's done more than that." -- When asked if first baseman Don Mattingly had exceeded expectations for the current season. "The other teams could make trouble for us if they win." "He can run anytime he wants. I'm giving him the red light." -- On the acquisition of fleet Ricky Henderson. "I never blame myself when I'm not hitting. I just blame the bat, and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn't my fault that I'm not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?" "It ain't the heat; it's the humility." "The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase." "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." "I didn't really say everything I said." |
©2011 the'Ark