Jim Tracy
Jim Tracy
ability area command innings latter needs pitches pleased progress strikes throw
He really understands that he needs command and the ability to throw strikes when he pitches in the latter innings of games. I'm very pleased with the progress he has made in that area this spring.
depending left progress surprised
It's nothing that surprised us. It's all pre-existing. After they do those two spots, depending on how the progress is with his left wrist, they may have to do something with that, too.
balls beginning best breaking command fastball progress threw
It was the best Snell has done. I'm beginning to see some progress from him. He threw enough breaking balls for strikes. He had much better command of his fastball tonight.
both exactly great job
I thought they both did a great job (Saturday). They did exactly what you wanted to see and what they would have wanted to do.
caught certainly good ryan
I thought Ryan caught a good game. He certainly will go back out there.
active baseball behind care finished gets half imperative members pitching plate product ryan safe stuff taken team
I think it's very safe to say that Ryan is not a finished product defensively. I also feel that, when you look at a major-league baseball team that has 25 active members and half of that is your pitching staff, it's pretty imperative that that stuff back there behind the plate gets taken care of.
attack finished mistake people
I think the mistake people made was, many thought he was a finished product. We wanted to back off for a while. We wanted to watch. We didn't want to attack him.
bed fall game giving hits kid opening played three until
Just giving him two or three days. Hey, that kid can fall out of bed and hit. The first game we played he had three hits and every one was smoked. I said right then, 'Let's put him in a humidor until Opening Day. Why does he need to be out here?
complete jeff performance
Just another complete performance by Jeff Weaver. He's the workhorse of this staff.
great help knows ourselves owe ryan starting
I think everyone knows Ryan has a great arm. I think we owe it to ourselves to find out if he can help us a starting pitcher.
builds himself life saw sit velocity
I saw better life to his fastball, much better life. I can't sit here and tell you what the velocity was, but that will come as he builds himself up. But the life on his fastball, it was there tonight.
deep nine tap
I say it all the time. I don't need nine guys. I don't need 25 guys. I need 35. You have to be deep enough to tap into the minors to be successful.
bases count golden opportunity seventh
Our golden opportunity was in the seventh inning. We had the bases loaded, we had one out, we had a 3-1 count and we just didn't get it done.
baseball care catch chances defense either fairly game good level managing name people philosophy pitching playing since
Pitching and defense has been the name of the game in baseball forever. I don't care what level you're playing at. My philosophy since I started managing has been that, before you can look at any other phases, you've got to feel fairly comfortable that you've got some people who can pitch and you've got to be able to catch the ball. If you can't do either one, your chances of being very good are slim.