By The Hair Of His Chinny-Chin-Chin

"I'm not offended at all that [the Cubs other starters] are all signed and I'm not. I'm not totally resigned to the fact that there isn't a chance I'll be back here. I don't know what that chance is. All I can do logically is make it a tough decision for them."
Matt Clement, on his contract status (Daily Southtown - 4/27/04)

"I might have put a little more energy than I needed to in that Piazza at-bat. [Who is Karim]Garcia is a good hitter and I threw him what was supposed to be a four-seamer and it came back a little over the plate. He did what you are supposed to do with a pitch that comes over the plate -- he crushed it."
Clement, after losing his no-hit bid (Daily Southtown - 4/26/04)

"Four-seamer and slider. I stuck with it. I was getting groundballs from the get-go. I messed up the first play of the game with Womack. After that, I was just trying to get groundballs and get [them] out by out."
Clement, on his Saturday performance (Daily Herald - 5/2/04)

"That's shows you what spring training means - nothing. His command of the strike zone is great. His rhythm is great. Boy, what a game under those conditions."
Dusty Baker (Daily Herald - 5/2/04)

Saving Face

"Since the Atlanta game, his command has been an issue. He has thrown well on the side. The other day he threw great beforehand in the bullpen and then went out and walked three of the first four hitters. It wasn't like he was bouncing them up there. He was throwing 93 [mph]."
Jim Hendry, on Andy Pratt (Chicago Sun-Times - 4/29/04)

"He is probably putting a lot of pressure on himself. He felt he had a big chance right away and then felt he disappointed himself and disappointed me and disappointed his father."
Hendry

"We're optimistic he will figure it out."
Hendry

"Hey, I'm pulling for Hee Seop [Choi] to do great. And I know Derrek is going to do great. When the year started, you had a better idea what Derrek could do than what Hee Seop could do."
Baker, on the Choi-Lee trade (Chicago Sun-Times - 5/2/04)

"There are always going to be questions on a trade. You can't control that. We got a long year, a long way to go."
Baker

"Darren is following him and knows how many home runs he has hit. That's my son's favorite player. But sometimes you got to do what you got to do."
Baker

Amphetamines (aka Alex Likes Out-Of-Context Quotes)

"Speed creates problems, mistakes. Speed creates better pitches for guys hitting and nervousness on the other side. I love speed."
Baker (Chicago Sun-Times - 4/28/04)

Miscellanea

"Does that set a precedent that every time I argue at home and they throw stuff on the field that I incited them? I'm trying to figure out where I got this power."
Baker, on being fined for "inciting fans" (Chicago Sun-Times - 4/29/04)

"Maybe the mail's slow."
Baker, when waiting to be fined (Chicago Sun-Times - 4/26/04)

"Being injured has made him grumpy. That's a nice way of putting it. I wouldn't want to be married to him right now."
Baker, on Mark Grudzielanek (Daily Southtown - 5/1/04)