Miscellaneous

"No one knows who is going to play," Everett said. "You come to the ballpark and you don't know who's in the lineup. It's tough to play that way. It is tough for a guy not knowing who's in the lineup. Hitting is very mental."

"We're a good team, but so are they. You don't play a team managed by Piniella and run by (Pat) Gillick and not respect it." -Johnny Oates, on playing the Mariners, (The News Tribune)

"There are several agents I'd be willing to hand my last nickel to, knowing I'd get it back with interest. There are several agents whose honesty is such that you can bank on what they tell you. Scott's methods work for him, but I'd prefer to deal with an agent I can trust." -Chuck Armstrong, on Scott Boras

"Alex played his heart out here for six years. If everything was equal, he'd probably have been back here, but financially it wasn't even close to being equal. It wasn't about not wanting to be a Seattle Mariner. It was wanting to be a Texas Ranger.'' -Rick Helling, stating his delusions that Alex didn't deserve the treatment he got here, and also pointing out that it was indeed all about the money as if there was ever any doubt.

"There's not a lot of mistakes being made out there. It's tough to have a game plan to beat them, because they do things well." -Adam Kennedy, Angels second baseman, on playing the Mariners.

"Barksdale hustled out as far as he could go. He saw the ball hit Knoblauch's glove, leaving the ballpark and then coming back. It was not a question of fan interference - it was the ball leaving the ballpark. If he had asked me, or any of the other guys, it would have been the same to us. It looked like it left the ballpark." -Mark Hirschbeck, crew chief

"It was a tough call, but he (the third base umpire) was out there. He was out as far as he could be. I didn't argue with him because I didn't really know. I think he did the best he could." -Chuck Knoblauch

"You have no choice. If you play back, he'll kill you. He'll get 100 infield hits a year. Basically, if you have to move two steps either way, you're not going to get him. You just hope he hits it to you." -Derek Jeter, on the defensive alignment the Yankees used with Ichiro at the dish.

"Obviously it didn't go that well. We're not getting good pitching when we need it. We're not getting good hitting. It's a tough stretch. You can't play like that against a team like Seattle the way they're going." -Mike Mussina

"Their hitting beat our pitching, their pitching beat our hitting." -Joe Torre, Yankees Manager

"They have all types of hitters. They are taking hits, making defensive plays -- and that bullpen." -Jerry Manuel, Chicago White Sox manager, on the Seattle Mariners

"The Mariners, to me, are maybe the most dangerous team in the major leagues. They're a good, solid team from top to bottom. They have outstanding character and makeup, a lineup full of professional hitters, and a lockdown bullpen. Any time the game goes to the 'pen, they hold whatever they've got. The starters aren't necessarily dominant, but they don't beat themselves. It's a well-constructed team." -Mark Shapiro, Assistant GM for the Cleveland Indians

"With their pitching, their defense, any team is going to have its hands full with them. They're just playing great baseball, and if you make any mistake, they beat you." -Jerry Manuel, Chicago's manager, on the Mariners

"I've never been so sure of a ball going out." -Paul Konerko

"That gust of wind you felt on April 12th was the Oakland A's breathing a collective sigh of relief as Edgar Martinez left town. Against the defending A.L. West champs, Edgar was a placid, one-man wrecking crew: 10-18 with 2 HR's, 7 RBI, and 9 walks (3 of them intentional). That translates to a .556 batting average, a .714 OBP, and a .944 slugging percentage. Any wonder they plunked him his last game there? Frustration, sure, but also inevitability. He's gonna get on base anyway, why waste time?" -The Grand Salami's player profile on Edgar Martinez

"I could see the kid was all over the place. If he was trying to go up and in on Ramirez, it was the only pitch Paniagua threw where he wanted it." -Al Clark, homeplate umpire, on why he didn't eject Jose Paniagua

"I just didn't make any good pitches today, and the four or five I did make they hit anyway." -Chris Carpenter, Toronto Blue Jays starter

"Filthy slider." -Bill Krueger, describing the pitch Jeff Nelson used to strike out Carlos Lee

"He has the art of hitting down. He keeps his hands back and does what he needs to do. He puts pressure on the defense and puts the ball in play. I'm still trying to figure out how to get him out.'' -Chicago starter Rocky Biddle on Ichiro

"If it's close to the plate, he will take a good swing at it and put it in play. He keeps his hands back. It's tough to fool him and you never see him out in front of a pitch.'' -Chicago White Sox catcher Josh Paul, on Ichiro

"Obviously, they're playing better than anyone expected, but I'm not surprised. When you have quality people like Pat Gillick and Lou Piniella - those guys are pure-blood winners. It doesn't matter how they get the job done - they find a way to sniff the finish line of a victory." -Brian Cashman, New York Yankees General Manager

"I hate facing that guy. I have some decent numbers against him, but they're always tough at-bats." -Tino Martinez, on facing Jamie Moyer

"Edgar's just a nightmare." -Tom Kelly, Manager for the Minnesota Twins

"The one thing you can't do against a good team is take anything for granted, and the Mariners are a very good team." -Tom Kelly

"I think we won." -Tom Kelly, Manager of the Minnesota Twins

"We beat ourselves. When you give a good club four or five outs, you're asking for trouble and we got it. We have no one to blame but ourselves. You've got to make the routine plays routine." -Tony Muser, manager of the Kansas City Royals

"4,860 regular games. 43,740 regular innings. 30 teams. 858 players. 210 coaches. 2 leagues. 1 dream. 1 trophy." -Laura's favorite baseball tshirt

"I see some similarities, but they've taken it farther. We [the 1984 Detroit Tigers who started 35-5, and finished with 104 wins and the World Championship] played that way for 40 games - and then got swept in Seattle. They're talking about 65, 66 games. Anytime you do something that puts you in the history books, it's special. They have to be proud. Looking back at what it did for us [having such command of the division], it just gave us confidence. I look at this club - the approaches they take at the plate, the way they go out and take the field - they're solid in a lot of ways, and that's kind of the way we felt. People talk about them having no superstars, but they have good, solid players that feed off each other, and when you've got confidence, it can take you a long way. It took us the whole way. We rode it. I could see that happening." -Alan Trammell, 1984 Tiger shortstop and current 1st base coach for the Padres

"We saw them all spring and I thought they'd be good because of their pitching. Then they come in here and score 26 runs in three games? That's sick." -(How-much-do-I-love) Tony Gwynn, San Diego's rightfielder, and one of the best hitters in the game

"Do I need to bow first before I start talking about Seattle?" -Art Howe, manager for the Oakland Athletics

"You have to respect what they've done. It's not frustrating. You sit back and say, `They've done a heck of a job.' You don't want to use the word `admire' but it's pretty darned close. You see teams play at a high level for two weeks, but they've been doing it for 2-1/2 months." -Art Howe "At first, it was kind of unexpected [the Mariners season thus far]. Now, as a fan, you have to appreciate what they're doing. They're making history. I hate being on the losing side, but you have to marvel. You can't be mad anymore. At first, I was, like, `Bleep, what's happening?' Now I just tip my cap." -Eric Chavez, Oakland third baseman

"You can't be anything but amazed. Any team that plays at that level for that long - and they still are - is unbelievable. It's the highest level. If they keep playing like that, no one will come close to catching them." -Jeremy Giambi, Oakland rightfielder

"Being out in mid-June? Well, I was used to that in Kansas City. But coming over here, thinking we had the best team in baseball ... A couple weeks ago, we pretty much said we're not looking at Seattle. They're going to win the division. Our goal is the wild card. We can't look any further than that. What they're doing is amazing." -Johnny Damon, Oakland leftfielder

"They have a two-digit lead on everybody in baseball. I asked Lou about it, and even he can't explain it." -Art Howe

"They've made a believer out of me. The guy that's been their big RBI guy all year, Bret Boone, didn't hurt us that much in the series. But they raked us. What is that they say about good teams? They get good pitching, timely hitting and good defense. The Mariners did all of that all series. And today, it was like they smelled blood." -AJ Hinch, catcher for the Royals

"I'd say this club is built to play good baseball." -Lee Pelekoudas, M's Assistant General Manager

"He did a great job. He really did a great job.'' -Mike Hargrove, manager of the Baltimore Orioles, on Ichiro's fielding that evening

"It looks like the only way to beat Seattle, is to pitch a complete-game shutout." -Darren Oliver, starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers

"These are a good bunch of guys who play together. Last year, a lot of them hadn't been there before. Last year, they started to see what it was all about. Now they know what it takes. What they have been doing is a little unbelievable, but they started building for it last year. They added a real exciting player in Ichiro, they've got good pitching and they've got momentum. It's going to be hard to slow a team like that down." -Rickey Henderson

"I think they thought they would be good, but I don't think any of them thought they'd be this good." -Tony Gwynn, San Diego Padre rightfielder and one of the best in baseball

"He (John Halama) had nothing. I'm looking forward to seeing him in five days." -Rickey Henderson,

"I'm sure Lou has seen this so many times. They have got magic going now. This loss was tough for us because they're so good. And when you let it get away... It would be nice to see them lose three in a row sometime." -Gil Heredia, Oakland starting pitcher

"When you look at this team the second time around, you say, 'Hey, the Mariners are something else'. You look at them now and you really see what they have been doing to win. McLemore is 21-for-21 in steals. Dan Wilson gets the job done, moving the runners over. Ichiro forces an error on a slow ground ball. I see Bret Boone hitting a ball heading for his nose for a single. They are playing at a very high level. They seem to be a different team now than they were when we first saw them. They've got the feeling. They know what they have to do to win. You can see it in the way they do things. It's in their eyes. The thing that makes them so good is how efficient they are. They do all the little things, things other clubs don't. And they are always in position to win a game. Let's face it, they maximize their abilities. If you are a fan of the game, they are a pleasure to watch." -Billy Beane, Oakland's GM

"Really, when you look at it, losing A-Rod made them a better team. They were a very good team with him, but they are better now." -Jason Giambi

"What kind of character a player has and how he mixes with the rest of the players is very important. Pat likes to meet with players before signing them, instead of just doing phone work. We signed six guys (two winters ago) and we had six face-to-face meetings." -Lee Pelekoudas

"That was the key at-bat of the game for me. Edgar has killed us all year. The homers Seattle hit, you can live with that, making them hit the ball, making them earn it. But us walking somebody in front of Edgar, that we can't do." -Art Howe

"Even though we got him out (Edgar was 0-for-4 prior to his hit), it was just a matter of time before Martinez got his hit. Boone's home run was also big for them. This is the best I've ever seen him play." -Art Howe, Oakland A's manager

"They have the best pitching staff in the league, I honestly believe that." -Jeremy Giambi, rightfielder for the Oakland Athletics

"The Yankees have been great through the years, but this team right now is as good as any I've seen. Not only do they have great players, but good guys, and they play the game right. Whoever built that team over there did a great job." -John Jaha, Oakland DH

"We had our chances, definitely. It just shows you how good they are. They gave us a chance, and we couldn't take advantage of it. We gave them a chance, and they did." -Jason Giambi, Oakland's 1st baseman and reigning American League MVP

"We don't think they're 18 games better than us." -Jarrod Washburn, Anaheim Angel starting pitcher, on the Seattle Mariners

"Are we as good as those guys? Obviously not. They're (18 1/2) games ahead of us. But can we play with them? Sure we can." -Darin Erstad, centerfielder (and a good one) for the Anaheim Angels

"They do a real good job of keeping some pressure on you throughout the whole game, through the whole lineup. When you tend to create as much as they can create offensively, then they're going to create their own breaks." -Mike Scioscia, manager for the Anaheim Angels

"I love playing here. They're down 8-1 (Friday) and the fans are still packed in the stadium, cheering everything they do. That's awesome. It pumps me up even though they're not cheering for us." -Jarrod Washburn, Anaheim starting pitcher

"Millimeters." -Jorge Fabregas, Angels' catcher, on how far off the ground the pitch Boone knocked over the centerfield wall was

"The big blow was the homerun by Cameron. That changed the whole ballgame. It looked like it was up in the zone, and Cameron didn't miss it." -Art Howe, manager for the Oakland Athletics

"People will probably continue to take them lightly until they win the World Series, but this is definitely one of the best assembled teams I've seen in a long time." -Johnny Damn

"The way he's (Boone) has been hitting, he's having a career year, and I'm sure he's the guy they want up there in that situation. I threw a pretty good pitch and I got lucky, I guess. I won this time, but next time you never know." -Jeff Tam, Oakland reliever

"Give credit to their bullpen. They're tough." -Mike Scioscia, Anaheim Angels manager

"You give them any edge, make any mistake, you have no margin for error with them. They're playing so well, your best game might not be enough - but if you don't bring your best, they almost make it look easy." -Tim Salmon, Angels' outfielder

"That guy pitched one heck of a game, you don't get him early, he gets tough." -Angles manager Mike Scioscia

"The best player in the game this year." -Texas Ranger catcher Ivan Rodriguez on Ichirio

"Those guys believe they are going to win every time. If they don't, they are going to win the next day. It bleeds from one guy to the next." -Jeff Zimmerman

"They play the game right, they get the job done, but we should have had this one." -Jerry Narron, Texas Ranger manager

"They're GONNA win. We never had a lead like that. We only had a seven-, eight-game lead. If we'd have had an 18-, 19-game lead, I'd have kicked back and gone to the Bahamas." -Sparky Anderson, former manager of the 1984 World Champion Detroit Tigers

"It seems like they do everything right." -Texas starting pitcher Darren Oliver on the Mariners

"I can't tell you how many first basemen I've heard yell, 'Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up,' to the infielders after Ichiro has hit a ground ball. They worry about him in every way. The infielders' eyes get about this big when he's up. If the shortstop is playing at normal depth, he almost has no chance to get Ichiro." -John Moses, first base coach for the Mariners

"The Seattle Mariners keep telling themselves they can't win every game. Even so, they must wonder." -Doug Tucker, sportswriter

"Forget about the other teams in the AL West. The Seattle Mariners have to be measured against squads from bygone eras." -Howard Fendrich, sportswriter

"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)." -Jose Miguel Romero, sportswriter

"Where the Mariners had three players, they now have 13 -- Halama, Garcia, Sele, Nelson, Rhodes, Tomko, Sazaki, Ichiro, Olerud, Boone, Cameron, McLemore, and Gullien -- who, at roughly $41 million are a $7 million savings from the Big Three (Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez. The moral of the story is this: a bunch of solid players making good -- but not outrageous -- money, will win a lot more games than three superstars can. Everyone was feeling sorry for the Mariners because they lost their superstars. But they were smart enough to spread out the money saved. Instead of being cheap and going after rookies, they invested in good veteran players whom they thought would fit their needs. This is not the NBA, where two superstars can make a dynasty. In baseball, you need a team." -Dave Campbell, sportswriter

"Last night, with the regular center fielder (Mike Cameron) and the regular first baseman (John Olerud) on the bench, the thrill-a-minute ride continued. Top of the first inning: Ichiro robs A-Rod on a routine unbelievable catch. Bottom of the first: Edgar parks one over the Eddie Bauer sign. Top of the seventh: Little-used Charles Gipson does an Ichiro to rob Andres Galarraga. Bottom of the eighth: Ichiro again, flustering the Rangers with an infield single. And so on. Niehaus, who sounds like the poster boy for apoplexy when stuff like that happens, points out that it truly is a remarkable time, given that the Mariners also get to host the All-Star Game this year." -John Levesque, sportswriter

"Be here now. Seattle baseball has paid its dues. Ride the wave with these Mbelievables. This is history, man." -Excerpt from Steve Kelly's article

"Keeping to the character they have had all season, the Mariners walked out on the afternoon following their first defeat in two weeks and immediately set about demoralizing the Padres." -Les Carpenter, sportswriter

"With a dramatic blast that surprised Chavez, both teams and probably every fan in the Coliseum, Oakland beat the majors' best team for the second time in three nights." -Greg Beacham, sportswriter

"Yesterday, the Mariners put their bats and balls away for 24 hours. In unison, the rest of the American League West shouted thank you. Lately, an off day is the only way to keep the home club from the win column." -Dan Raley, sportswriter

"Lou Piniella had just the tonic for the Seattle Mariners' ailing bats Sunday. He canceled batting practice and took the American League's top hitter out of the lineup." -Scott M. Johnson, sportswriter

"When it happens, most likely against Oakland this week, Boone will circle the bases, return to the dugout and give the Mariners a play-by-play description of what transpired." -Jim Moore, sportswriter, on Bret Boone's homerun routine

"Also debuting this week are shirts for Ichiro Suzuki, with "#51 The Wizard" on the front and "HE'LL FIND A WAY" on the back." -David Andriesen & Jim Moore, sportswriters

"The team that was supposed to win the American League West arrived in Seattle with what therapists call issues. The Oakland A's have plenty of them. And they're like a slow browser: searching, searching, searching for answers. They did not find any last night, not against the skyrocketing Mariners, who moved 21 games in front of the A's with a 7-3 victory." -Jim Moore, sportswriter

"Those guys believe they are going to win every time. If they don't, they are going to win the next day. It bleeds from one guy to the next." -Jeff Zimmerman

"In his special spare-no-feelings way, Piniella caught Sele's attention." -Gerry Fraley, sportswriter