David Eckstein Quotes (77 Quotes)

I just feel very comfortable with two strikes, ... It's one of those situations where you don't want to do anything wrong, but you want to be able to sit back and relax. The one thing I don't want to do is get any kind of jumpiness, any type of anything, into my body except focusing on the baseball.

We held home field advantage. One thing we've got to do, we've got to stay aggressive. We can't wait to get over there.

I'll take my chances, win or lose, ... It's a calming feeling to be up at the plate at that time.

I don't want pitchers thinking that's what I'm going up there trying to get hit, ... If I did, I think I'd get hit a lot more, in a lot worse places.

Twenty or 30 years from now, you're probably going to say you've watched one of the top five players to ever play this game.

Getting guys on base in front of the big guys, that's the key to this club.

When you have a guy like (Pujols) who every single night comes out and with the lineups we've had has the average he has, the homers he has, the RBIs he has ... and plays defense the way he plays defense, that's (the MVP). It's not even a question.

Watch this. Froze him like you wouldn't believe. Definitely, he has not just a fastball.

I think it's going to help me. I only saw six pitches, so you can't really tell from today, but I think in the long run the workouts at home will help me.

They battle. There's no quit over there. After the first two nights, they came back with the same game plan. They definitely play hard. It's very impressive.

That's the one thing early in the season ... I wasn't being efficient to the pull side. I've gotten pitches, and I need to turn on them. If you ask Hal, I am hitting my best when I'm able to hit the hard line drive to left field. That's something we talk about and work on because if I hit that pitch well and stay on the pitch, I will hit the line drive to right field.

The way Jimmy Edmonds hit the home run in Game 6, and making the catch he made in Game 7 -- it just seemed like every one of those games was so intense. Home-field advantage was a real key, so you definitely have to be ready to play.

You just try to see the ball up ... His ball has so much sink and so much run, I just try to get as close to him as possible and try to take away that late break.

The one thing I didn't want to do was get into any type of jumpiness, ... Any type of anything in my body besides just focus on the baseball. And it's pretty calming to step into at the plate in that situation. I have no idea, no reason why.

How big has Hector Luna been the last week ... And Johnny ... we're getting guys good opportunities in good games. We're going to need them (in the postseason). Just by doing what they've done has helped the whole club.

The bottom of our lineup has done such a great job to provide opportunities, getting on base. The one inning when Nunie had a great at-bat, goes 3-2, draws the walk, and then Carp goes up there and gets another walk, that's with two outs there. And that gives me the opportunity to do something. That's a lot of fun.

We didn't lay back and let things happen today, ... We hit and ran and just pushed the envelope all day, that really show Tony's management style.

I've hit balls with everything I've got and it doesn't go over the fence. So I definitely run hard. I'll never have the opportunity to sit there and watch one as it goes out because I don't have that kind of pop.

This club is very tough, very resilient, and we're going to be tested.

We expected to win. I didn't even pack anything (Wednesday) or make any plans for getting home because I thought we would win tonight.

His location was unbelievable. He didn't make a mistake.

It's one of those things. Baseball is a funny game. Every club can beat any club. They come out and play great against us. It's hard to believe to see where they're standing. They've got a great club.

Being in a situation where we were both coming to a new (place), we got to hanging out together. We're seeing the dividends now.

I had been facing live pitching right up until I came here. So it wasn't as different for me today as maybe some other guys.

I feel very confident with two strikes. I feel it's more of a freedom. I get very upset with myself if I make an out on a bad pitch before two strikes. With two strikes, it's all out the window. I feel free.

Having gone through this other times, I have full confidence in the surgery. Actually, it'll probably be a day of joy. Because my dad will get a lot of his freedom back.

We had a lot of last-minute planning to do, a lot of things. But her mom did a lot with the wedding and Ashley did a lot, too.

On paper, we have more talent than 2002. Without a doubt. And we have more experience now, because we've done it before. But it's a long season.

This was not vintage Roger Clemens , and David Eckstein frowned when asked if this was a winnable contest, knowing his club squandered too many opportunities against the old ace. We had our chances, ... I think his hamstring was bothering him. There was a play when he didn't run to cover first base. There may be something there.

That was the key right there, ... That extended the inning. He could have just jogged down the line and let them turn a double play. We're fortunate he ran hard and through the base. But this club does that. We're able to score extra runs because of that.

It's like when I was playing in the Angels-Oakland games. That's not a rivalry. When fans hate the other fans, that's what makes it a big-time rivalry. These are big games. If we keep doing it over and over again, we can turn it into that, but it takes the fans to raise it to that level.

I feel almost like a freedom. You get to swing at a pitch no matter where it is. I love it.

Without a doubt, ... His location was unbelievable. You watch the film and he throws the ball up a lot, but today he was throwing the ball down, right at the knees, on the corners. He did a fantastic job tonight.

Last year had a lot of tradition and a lot of history and now we're opening up something new -- and it's beautiful. It's a new era of baseball. You definitely miss the old stadium, but now you have something as beautiful as this. You're kind of torn between them both.

Don't turn the channel, ... no matter what the score is.

That was one time that I was not going to take the extra base. If it was earlier in the game, I probably was going to take the extra base. You've got to give your best guy the opportunity to win the game.

Everyone has always told me, 'Oh, you're going to wear out, you're going to wear out. I've never really thought about it. If I go home and get my rest, I'm ready to play.

Yeah, that's what people say. We'll see if that's true. But I know that in this lineup, I'm just going to do everything I can to get on base. That's my job.

I had heard other players say 'when you play in St. Louis, you don't want to leave,' ... When you consider it, playing here is a no-brainer. It's awesome, from the organization to the manager, to the coaches to the fans. The main focus here is on winning.

You like to win the game but there's something about the squeeze play. It's do or die. I get more opportunity to do that, too.

When I'm off the field I do absolutely nothing. Everybody thinks I'm a hyperactive kid because of the way I play, but when I go home I'm the calmest, most laid-back person you'd ever want to meet.

That is the key. The toughest thing sometimes is getting that ground ball, and they seem to get the ground ball. They might give up a hit. They might give up a walk. But they finally get that key ground ball when it's time to focus in. It's a good thing.

I hope not. Because if it does, you're in trouble. He's got some great stuff.

That just shows you with our club there's a lot of different ways we can go out there and we can get a victory. Grudzielanek had a great night, but once again you were looking at Nunez.

Guess what If we're going to be a champion, we've got to come back. We might not be able to sleep tonight, but that's normal.

Knock on wood, I've been hanging in there.

I didn't even watch it, I ran. That's probably all I've got right there.

How many little kids are out there fighting because they know David did it ... A lot of people have said to me that we are an inspiration. ... People say, How do you do it' What choice do I have You get up and go.

Right in that time of day if you hit the ball right there, you can't see it,

He missed so much time with the broken leg and he didn't miss a beat. He's focused on doing his job and being consistent with it. He's a great person to have in the clubhouse.