Bob Melvin Quotes (221 Quotes)

We'll consider a lot of things, and in the next day or so, we'll have a better idea.

You can see how much more comfortable Conor is in big league camp right now. It's all about working and getting ready for the season. Last year was a thing of the past. He's not going to worry about that at all.

He's someone we don't want to rush, obviously. If we have the slightest apprehension about getting him out there ... it's a long season, and if he has to miss a week or something like that, it's something we can do.

They understand we're in a precarious position right now as far as trying to get some other guys in some games and get a look at them yet still go out there and try to be as competitive as you can,

Just a day for Trace. Nothing big, just a little banged up. Just some aches and pains, and I just felt like at this point in the season, if he gets one off, plays tomorrow and gets another off, then we'll be that much closer to 100 percent.

You get 11 hits and only two runs, you're not going to win many games doing that. We had a few situational at-bats where we didn't get it done.

In talking with the doctors last night, he's not going to have the fluids in him. No matter how well he feels today, we'd be a little concerned about when he hit a wall out there. So, it's not the right thing to do.

It's a play where he's in between whether or not to try to stay on the base. Then at the last minute, he tries to come off and tag him at the same time. Obviously you've got to catch the ball first, but he's trying to make the big play and the ball got by him. You can't beat him up for it. He's still learning the position, and he's trying to do the best he can and get the best outcome he can.

He even said he had a tremendous time here at camp, learned a lot, got to play, felt like he was part of it. It'll serve him well when he gets back here that he's been part of it. He'll feel comfortable when he gets back here.

I think he was tested pretty good, especially when you're coming across the bag from shortstop and have to kind of throw off balance the other way going home. He let it go pretty good.

I don't think anybody remembers who wins the Cactus League. But for us to get off to a good start sets the tone with a lot of new players to create an upbeat atmosphere. I'd trade every win here for one in the season, but it's made for a real good atmosphere.

Sometimes you just need to send them down to give them a blow mentally, because at the big league level, it can grind on you. You go out there -- it's all about results, period. It's nice once you get to the big leagues, but there isn't any grace period where you get to struggle for a while. It's about results right now, and if you don't do it, there are others that will take your place.

Our bullpen has done a tremendous job all year and they did it again today.

As long as, maintenance-wise, he keeps the muscles ... strong, he is going to be able to play. He's a very diligent worker. We have no concerns about him keeping himself ready to play.

(Dustin) threw reasonably well, but his curve wasn't as good as it could be at times.

Trace had a little something going on and I didn't want to mess with it yesterday. There are certain guys that you just can't lose and Trace would be one of those guys.

He's going to battle just like he has every year. Nothing's been given to him ever. This organization has always been in a position where we're trying to win. He's never had the opportunity to play every day and he's had to fight for everything's he's gotten and this spring it's going to be the same way. He's going to be fighting for his at-bats and to make a team. He's a very talented guy and usually you don't have a guy that talented in a situation like that.

After the worst three innings of baseball I've ever seen, I think, at the big league level, I mean that was just awful. But to our credit we didn't die. We came back, we had a lead, had our closer in the game. Can't ask for much more than that.

You spend any time around him, he doesn't act, look anything like an 18-year-old kid. He's got a lot of savvy. You can tell he's been around a family and brother who's been in the big leagues. He handles himself very well.

You want them to get a taste for this. You're an organization. It's not just the big leagues and then the minor leagues. It's all one big process.

Just talking to the doctors last night, he's just not going to have the fluids in him. No matter how well he feels today we'd be a little concerned about when he'd hit a wall out there.

I thought Padilla, early on, had as good stuff as I'd seen. I mean, he was throwing 96 miles an hour and had good sink and then just started getting wild with it. I thought we were in for a tough time early on.

Unbelievable. We were getting fluids in him. He was struggling and then he makes that play. So not only was it an offensive and defensive performance, he gutted it out, too, because he was scuffling.

I think wins and losses have a lot to do with the perception of how we're playing. Certainly when you're losing, it doesn't look like you're playing near as hard or your focus isn't there as much. That's just a product of losing. I think the focus and approach has been the same all year.

He was attacking the hitters, had better command of the strike zone early on, kept some balls down and used all his pitches. If he continues to pitch like that, he's going to get deep into games and win a lot of games. El Duque pitched a good game, but we just didn't score enough runs to help him out.

To Lee's credit, he didn't try to do too much with it. He just stayed up the middle.

Tony really worked him. That's as professional an at-bat as you are going to see. When you walk a guy, there's that second run, and the life kind of comes out of you.

We're kind of in that difficult line, where you still feel like you're in it. You still go out there and try to win every game, yet you have to look periodically at these other guys. It's not a real comfortable place to be, yet that's where we are and guys are going to get some days off from time to time.

Everybody feels good right now. To keep climbing, keep clawing and keep playing hard is a nice feel-good for the organization.

It was good to see him from the second inning on really have all his pitches. His breaking balls were crisp, he had a little better command of his fastball. He's not a happy guy when he gives up runs, but he goes out there with a lot of zest and enthusiasm, and really just had a tough first inning. The good ones don't let innings affect them.

The first time out, guys that were injured are just wanting to get through it and let it go. The second time, they're not worried about it anymore and they're just into their focus of getting ready for the season.

This does nothing but make us better, ... He's great at identifying, during a game, any mechanical problems a pitcher is having. He can go out there and talk to a guy and get him refocused on making his pitches.

He's been a nice little spark for us here as of late.

He's a four-pitch pitcher. He mixes it up well, and he kept us off-balance.

I think he could do anything. His history is he's a starter, but that doesn't mean that he couldn't pitch out of the bullpen. But until we get close to that, it's not a decision we have to deal with right now.

As much as has been said about us not having any heart and all this stuff, we've been battling all year. We could have quit a while ago, but we don't. We're not the type of team that is outwardly enthusiastic, and I think it sometimes might be misconstrued for no desire or whatever, but this is a team that could have called it in quite some time ago, and we're just not going to.

He got off to a tough start. And having that big contract, pitching at home, can sometimes weigh on you. I don't think he'd admit that, but you really want to start things right, especially being back home, with a new team. And that didn't happen for him.

I thought we had some pretty decent approaches on him. You know, Alex hits the ball hard right there at the end. But when he comes in the game, he's finished the deal quite a few times.

To finish in second place after struggling in the middle of the season is positive after climbing and clawing back into this is something the organization can feel good about.

It's a results-based industry and we've given it some time and we just don't feel like we're getting the results.

I thought we had them in a good situation and the right guy up there. A lot of times, it's one or two at-bats that swing a game one way or the other, and that certainly was the case.

The more you see a Royce Clayton, the more you realize the effect that he has offensively, defensively and he's a leader, too. When he was first coming in, I didn't really know that about him. It's been a pleasant surprise to see what kind of leadership role he's taken on.

He stayed up the middle with a couple, which is good to see, ... Sometimes he gets a little too pull happy, with the added power he has.

Other than that one little stretch there, I thought he threw the ball nice.

I think it bothers him more so in the field than at the plate. It's when he slows down or takes off or when he dives for a ball and hits it wrong, those are the times you see it. He's had to play with it all year and some days it's better than others. We've tried to monitor it and give him a day off when he needs a day off. The way he's swinging right now, it's hard to give him a day off.

When you're that young, you get jumpy and try to show what you've got and try to pull balls. But he stayed out there with him and (the ball) got out there in a hurry.

He's swung the bat fine. We sat him out for a game because of a little bit of a groin and leg issue, but I'm not concerned about him. He's had a big game already, and he's in the three hole for a reason. We don't worry about him.

I obviously made a little mistake there.

Javy kept fighting out there. He gave up a bunch of hits but made good pitches when he had to and got us through six innings, which at the time, I didn't think he had a chance.

He just lost it in a hurry. I thought he was throwing the ball as well as he had all year, working both sides of the plate. The first few innings were great, and then he just lost it in a hurry.