Bret Boone

"You want to win series, but when you take the first two you get greedy. Hell, yes, we wanted this one. And we were in it until the last out of the game. But you're crazy if you think you're going to win every close game of the season. They won one? Good for them. We won two. Good for us." -Bret Boone, The News Tribune, on taking 2 from Texas

"I only heard the ball as it went past my ear. When I saw Long head for third, I just said, `You're out. Period, man, you are out.' And was he ever out." -Bret Boone

"No matter what people have said or asked, this is a good club. Talk is cheap. This team knows how to play the game. A lot of teams may be more talented, but this team knows how to play the game and you can never discount that." -Bret Boone, on the Mariners

"It's weird - it's like we pass the baton with the offense. Tonight, and last night too, it was Guillen's turn. Without him, we don't win these two games." -Bret Boone

"For a couple of weeks now I've been looking for new words to describe this. What I've come up with today is that this team is something special." -Bret Boone

"I'll tell you what, I just try to learn from watching the guy. He is just awesome. Even when he has a little down spell, you know he's coming up with the big hits." -Bret Boone

"We're going to lose games, we're going to lose series, but we're going to ride this as long as we can. You go 20-4, any time - it's special. We don't come to the ballpark expecting to lose. We expect to win." -Bret Boone

"It had to end sooner or later. But there's always another win streak waiting to be started." -Bret Boone

"He's not a fluke. No one has three pitches like him and command of all three." -Bret Boone

"We had chances early and we didn't get Nomo. He's got one of the best split-fingered pitches in baseball, and I was looking for it and still couldn't stop my swing. On the way into the dugout, Carl Everett (who, like Bret, struck out in the third) and I laughed. He said he was sitting on Jamie's changeup and still couldn't hit it. I told him I knew what that was like - I was trying to lay off Nomo's split-finger and couldn't." -Bret Boone

"It's self-defeating to go up to the plate trying for revenge. I didn't. But my pitcher is pitching his heart out, and I had a chance to help him out by making that double play, a play I should make, and I didn't." - Bret Boone

"When you let the other team tie on the road the momentum usually swings to the home team. But our club just doesn't seem to buy into that theory. We just go about our business and see what we can do about getting another lead." -Bret Boone

"It seems like Ichiro gets a hit in the first inning every night. We're all sitting in the dugout and we just start laughing when he gets the hit. He gets the ball rolling for us every time.'' -Bret Boone

"I was surprised he was going, but Ichiro gave me the perfect throw. I just turned and threw a strike of my own to complete the play. Our team just continues to play fundamentally sound baseball.'' -Bret Boone

"I told him, 'Ollie, turn it down a notch.' You hit a clothes-line shot like that and it's (men on) first and second, and I have to bunt. Take it a little easier and it's first and third, and I can win the game, see?" -Bret Boone, joking about how hard Olerud laced the ball

"We won again, and it's awesome. I've never seen anything like it. But I love it." -Bret Boone

"His hitting seems to follow, `where there's a will, there's a way.' It's a ton of fun watching him. In fact, this whole team playing the way it is is a lot of fun. We just keep playing hard, playing well and winning. I'm running out of words to describe it." -Bret Boone

"We don't have 40-homer guys, and we really don't need them." -Bret Boone

"It's been great. The two guys ahead of me are probably the most disciplined hitters I've been around, especially John (Olerud). I've played against him a lot, and now I'm a teammate on deck behind him. Hitting behind John is a help. He might have the best eye I've ever seen. It's amazing to watch." -Bret Boone

"So we lost, but we didn't lose anywhere near as easy as we might have. That's called character, and character is why this team is a winner - maybe even tonight." -Bret Boone

"We had a couple of pretty awesome comebacks tonight, and I think that's what you take away from this game" -Bret Boone

"I stink as a pinch-hitter." -Bret Boone, who, prior to today, had very little success in this role

"We pressure teams. We make teams work to get outs. We put good at-bats together, even when it results in an out. We keep coming, and we manufacture runs as well as any team I've ever seen." -Bret Boone

"Can of corn double play. You make that [an error] and you feel for the pitcher - now you've put him in a jam. Nelly bailed me out tonight." -Bret Boone

"If you ask anyone in (the clubhouse), nobody cares," Boone said about the record. "We're not worried about that. It's another win, and we plan on winning (today)."

"Our thoughts are with Lou, and it's a tough time for him right now. I saw him right before he left and he said, 'Go get 'em.'" -Bret Boone

"He does a lot of things people don't notice, maybe even some players. I came in today, I didn't want a day off. I'd never ask for one. But I'm sitting and McLemore is playing. Mac has a good game, now I'm fresh. Lou doesn't wait for somebody to get tired. He picks his spots for everything. He's fun to play for." -Bret Boone, on manager Lou Piniella

"This was a special situation. This is a special season. This is a special city. The town is going crazy. There's never been a better time to be a Mariner." -Bret Boone

"You're supposed to run hard all the time. In that situation, we all know that a runner on is much better than two outs and none on." -Bret Boone

"There was no pressure on us (the defense). Jamie was dealing. He was pitching great. Oliver [Texas starter] was good, too, but Jamie was dealing." -Bret Boone

"I never miss a ground ball. It was a simple play, and I blew it. But my teammates picked me up. Some team, huh?" -Bret Boone

"This was a nightmare during the day, our worst game of the year." -Bret Boone

"A complete team effort. We stunk it up." -Bret Boone

"We played a bad first game, granted. The second game showed why we're in first place." -Bret Boone

"We didn't need to talk about it between games. Everybody in here knew we played a bad game. In the second game, we played the way we play every game - and we got on them early." -Bret Boone

"We kept battling, but when they score 11, it's tough to come back. Yet we almost did it against one of the toughest closers in the game." -Bret Boone

"It's hard to keep in perspective, so we don't try. We just come to the park every day to play, and we show up expecting to win." -Bret Boone

"We come back and get them tomorrow. It's tough to lose this one. But you know games like this are going to happen." -Bret Boone

"He's got No. 1 stuff, that special handful-of-guys stuff. In some of his games he gets a bit rattled in an inning when he gets hit or gives up a walk. Today, he had a bunch of those innings and he worked through them like the ace pitcher he is." -Bret Boone on Freddy

"It came down to the last hitter. That will happen. We can't worry about it. Everybody wants to beat us." -Bret Boone

"That happens. They're still a good-hitting team. That shows that even someone as good as Kaz can't do it every single time. We're used to winning when Kaz goes out there. He's one of the best closers in the game, but he's human; he can screw up, too. It's the nature of the game. We won't worry about this. It's tough to lose late in the game, but it happens." -Bret Boone

"We're the leaders now, so guys are out to kick our butts. It sucks to lose this way, but even Kaz is human. He can't do it every single night." -Bret Boone

"Man, what are you doing? You look like you're playing Wiffle ball." -Aaron Boone, to Bret Boone, after Bret's 7 RBI, 2HR's on June 4th

"Right now, I think there should be patriarchal privilege, like in Little League, where you get to keep your own kid." -Bob Boone, Bret's father, and manager of the Cincinnati Reds

"I'm very pleased, but I'm not surprised. I guess I'm surprised because the situation is so spectacular. But him doing it doesn't surprise me at all." -Bob Boone

"He can hit a 1-iron with Tiger. He hits a driver with any person in baseball, any player - even Mark McGwire. It's all his hand speed. He was a power hitter from the time he could walk." -Bob Boone

"Edgar is probably considered by most baseball people to have the finest swing in the game. I think the big advantage he's got is sitting behind Edgar - just sitting and watching. Because there's no hurry in Edgar's swing." -Bob Boone

"I have to start catching up to Bret. Otherwise, I'll hear from him all offseason." -Aaron Boone

"As soon as Al hit his (2 run) homer, I knew we were right there. We didn't waste any time in coming back. We usually don't." -Bret Boone

"Whatever he (Lou) wants to do is OK. But I don't want any days off. I want to play." -Bret Boone

"This is the biggest lull we've hit this year, and we're 6-6 in our last 12 games. If that's your down time, then that's pretty good." -Bret Boone

"We don't have Griffey, Bonds, Sosa or Ramirez. We have a team of veterans who play the game right. We have some pop, too, but by no means do we sit around and wait for it." -Bret Boone

"You never want to get swept. But we didn't think about that. We just wanted to win the game." -Bret Boone

"How about that! I take it off my shoelaces, go the other way and take it out of the yard." -Bret Boone

"I've got them (t-shirts) for every occasion. If I'm not playing, it says, 'Chicks love the bench.'" -Bret Boone on his 'Chicks dig the...' t-shirt collection

"Edgar and Olerud may not be the fastest guys in the league, but you won't hear me complaining. You know why? They're always on base. Always. We've lost some games lately, but that is going to happen. This is still a great team, the best I've ever been on. We find ways to win." -Bret Boone

"I used to be a fan of The Monkey. But no more. They're wearing it out." -Bret Boone

"That guy is flat-out amazing. Sure he gets a lot of at-bats because he leads off, but he gets a lot of hits. It seems like he just picks a spot on the field and puts the ball there. I've never seen anything quite like it." -Bret Boone on Ichiro

"You can't expect Ichiro to hit a two-run homer. But the way this club has played, you've come to expect something." -Bret Boone

"I play the way I've been taught to play, the way the game is supposed to be played. If people recognize that, great. If they don't, it's not something I'm going to worry about." -Bret Boone

"That's probably as mad as I've seen David on the field. It's an emotional play at the end of a game when we've got a little rally going. You react. It's going to happen." -Bret Boone

"It was a close play, and you want to be safe on those plays. It happens. Guys care, they get mad, they get over it. Nobody on our team likes to lose. Nobody." -Bret Boone

"Those things are going to happen, with an offense like that. I told both those kids that there are some nights that everything you throw up there, they're going to hit. We've been on both sides of it. Just throw this one away." -Bret Boone

"We were out of it after the third. But I know this team. We'll forget about it by the time we get on the plane.'' -Bret Boone