You can only talk about potential for so long, and then you either put up or shut up. ... We feel this is our year to prove a point.

183

You go up for your first at-bat of the game [if you're starting], you know you have three or four more chances and can still make a difference. If you get that one at-bat, it's a do-or-die at-bat for you and the team. When you're not swinging well, you put extra pressure, and it can snowball pretty quick.

173

That was the worst part of the season that stands out.

167

That night swung a lot of things in a lot of bad directions for us.

149

I'm not going. I'm 100 percent Italian and my family makes a trip there once a year. That made it a tough decision. This year we've made a lot of additions here and there is a lot of excitement about the direction we're headed. I just want to be here from the beginning.

146

To be honest, I don't remember much about the game. You could feel the heat coming off the ground. You could feel it coming from the stands and the seats. I didn't think it could get any hotter than the last day game – and it did.

145

We're used to playing on a consistent basis, and it's a hard adjustment to make mentally and physically. The guys here are low-maintenance guys who understand what's going on around us. That doesn't make it easier, but we're not going to gripe about it. We're still going to be great teammates, but it's tough to swallow.

128

While we were wearing down, for him to come into the game and be fresh, I'm sure his bat speed was as good as it's going to be. Whereas ours, I don't care what anybody says, is not going to be as good after three hours in that.

113