Mark Shapiro
Mark Shapiro
assemble decisions everybody framework information maybe organize players spit
It doesn't spit out players to pick, ... It's a framework for decision-making. It's all the information everybody else has -- maybe some different information -- but allows us to assemble and organize it in a way that we can make decisions a little more quickly.
behalf both commitment distinct level unique
Obviously, this is a unique and significant commitment on behalf of ownership. Grady is one of our more unique guys. The level of commitment is distinct on both sides.
anyone extremely last pace since surprised ton
I wouldn't say I'm surprised by Cliff's development, but I am a little surprised by the pace of it. He's an extremely competitive guy. He's made a ton of adjustments since last season, but I don't think anyone could have anticipated (that he'd get this good, this fast).
badly course half second wants
He wants to be here and wants to be a part of it. He wants so badly to be a big part of our future, as well as our present. If he can do what he did in the second half over the course of a whole year, he'll be more than enough.
august building clearly colon decisive direction finish foot last maybe move rebuild since team trade until within
The Colon trade was a decisive move, and every move after that was clearly in the direction of, rebuild with a foot on the accelerator, ... That's what it had been until maybe August last year. Everything since then has been, 'Let's see what we can do to try to finish off building the team within the constraints of the market.'
background character check conclusion extensive found great hard isolated jason mistake plays police report talked
Character is very important to us, so to say we did an extensive background check on Jason would be an understatement. What we found is that he's a great teammate, he plays hard and is great in the clubhouse. We read the police report and talked to everyone involved. Our conclusion is we feel it was a mistake on Jason's part, but it's an isolated incident.
approach corner definitely fits game good league local major next played power size
He's definitely played the game the way we want it played. He has the power, size and athleticism combo to be a corner outfielder at the Major League level. His approach fits with our approach, and he's a local kid. It's a pretty good match. But he's still got to go to the next level, which he really hasn't been to yet.
happening happy
I'm happy for him. We're disappointed it's not happening here, but that's just part of the game.
addition good hoped mental physical trade whether
He was everything we had hoped to see. The things you don't know when you make a trade ? the mental approach, whether he will be a good teammate, were the most encouraging things, in addition to his physical tools.
contend last move trying
It was acknowledging that we lacked upper-level prospects. That was a middle-of-the-road move, trying to contend and rebuild. But it was the last middle-of-the-road move that we made.
alex comment less positive statement
It's less a comment on Alex Cora than it is a positive statement about those two.
calls guys tough
I called to tell him he was going back to Double-A after he'd been in Triple-A. That was one of my first tough calls to a player. I didn't necessarily make those decisions, but I was the one who had to give guys the news.
attributes basis best daily enjoys game genuinely himself level option passion performance picks player plays
The best option is when a player picks it up himself by his level of performance. He genuinely has a passion for the game and plays on a daily basis like he enjoys it. That is representative of the attributes we want in our players.
add bring excited grew paul pitcher pleased starting
In Paul Byrd, we are excited to add an experienced starting pitcher to our rotation. We are pleased to bring Paul back to the organization he grew up in.