the prodigy

"Greg Maddux told me yesterday, 'Boy, you are overqualified for this job.' You think I'm proud of that comment? You bet I am."
Mark Prior, during a speech at his college graduation (Cubs.com 5/14/2004)

"I'm not hitting off him -- no way."
Ryan Dempster, on pitching against Prior in rehab (Cubs.com 5/13/2004)

"Not too hot. He threw me the nastiest curve I've ever seen."
Cubs prospect Ryan Harvey, on how he fared facing Prior (Cubs.com 5/15/2004)

corey

"Me personally, I get in trouble when I think too much."
Corey Patterson (Cubs.com 5/9/2004)

"The No. 1 thing is learn the strike zone. Most of the time when they get him out, they don't get him out with strikes. Most of the time it's balls. When that happens you're getting yourself out."
Dusty Baker, on Patterson (Cubs.com 5/14/2004)

citrus

"I can't say enough about our bench guys. They call themselves 'The Lemons.' It just shows you how important it is to have a good bench."
Baker (Cubs.com 5/13/2004)

"It's more of a friendly thing. It sounds like it's a bad thing. The bench guys are bored sometimes and we labeled ourselves 'The Lemons.' It's kind of caught on. The coaching staff drops 'The Lemons' on us."
Paul Bako (Cubs.com 5/13/2004)

"'Walk' [Todd Walker] can't be a Lemon. Look at what he did last year. Ramon is a Lemon, but now that he's starting every day he's shied away. He might be like a Lime, graduate a little."
Bako

"We had a blast out there. It was a new league record as far as number of 'Lemons' in the game together. Everybody had a chance to contribute."
Bako

"[Carlos Zambrano]'s not even close. None of the starters are lemons."
Bako

"He's left-handed and throws 90. He doesn't meet Lemon standards. He's a tangerine."
Tom Goodwin, on Glendon Rusch (Cubs.com 5/16/2004)

miscellanea

"When you've got a chance to get a guy like that, why not?"
Jim Hendry, on signing Rey Ordonez (Des Moines Register 5/13/2004)

"I've struggled all year. I think Dusty doing what he did the last two weeks and giving me extended rest was maybe what I did need. It's still in progress but I'm seeing the results and starting to feel more comfortable."
Joe Borowski (Cubs.com 5/16/2004)

"Looking back, I should have come [to Chicago] in a heartbeat, but I didn't know then what I know now."
Rafael Palmeiro, on the trade to the Cubs he rejected last season (Chicago Sun-Times 5/12/2004)

"It would be better if I would've hit off the wall or we had a fight with somebody, but geez."
Sammy Sosa, on being sidelined with back spasms brought on by a sneeze (Cubs.com 5/16/04)

"He beat me."
Matt Clement, on Alex Cora's 18-pitch at-bat and home run (Cubs.com 5/13/2004)