Dusty Baker Matter Quotations

Missing almost the second half of the season last year really slowed his progress some. Skill-wise, he has the skill. We know that. It's just a matter of him playing and doing the little things. He works hard.

Hey, you can't pick where you put them. I try to protect my guys the best I can. If you're in the big leagues, you're under fire every day, no matter who you're playing. Haven't I said all spring I was looking for a surprise?

He's probably the front runner for that position. It's just a matter of how he looks, how healthy he is because at the end he had a few health issues.

He's going to be a fine, fine player. It's just a matter of when we clear that spot for him, and do we hold somebody in reserve in case he doesn't do it.

You might think it matters to some of the guys who are still in contention. But at the same time, how many guys think that far in advance?

I don't want to get off on that too much. There's always an adjustment no matter where you go.

All day it was just a matter of us cutting down on the walks. It seemed like every time we walked someone, they scored.

Carlos pitched great, certainly well enough to win, ... It was just a matter of too much Chipper Jones. They said Chipper was hot (.469 in his last nine games). He's certainly hot. He is hot.

I try to protect the young guys as best I can, but at the same time, if you're in the big leagues, you're in the fire every day no matter who you're playing.

Sometimes he has great command of the strike zone, and the next time ... It's a matter of being more consistent. He is throwing the ball good.

He's as hard-working a guy as I've ever seen. He wants to do very, very good. Seems that no matter what he does, he still has the hunger and enthusiasm of a rookie. With that nature, that'll take him to great heights. I haven't been around him that long, but he appears to be a guy who's never satisfied with where he is.

Juan has a pretty good idea of when to run. There were quite a few guys who had green lights last year. It's just a matter of them running. I gave guys the green light a lot, but sometimes I was a bit upset when they didn't run. A real base stealer can run better when he feels he can run versus when you tell him to run.

They are both throwing the ball good. It's just a matter of location most of the time. I'm confident it will come. They've pitched well in the past, so why wouldn't they pitch well in the present and future? I'm not too worried. You want them to be in great form right now, but we do have some time. They have a couple of starts left.

They're avoiding him because he can hit you out of the ballpark. It doesn't have to do with anything but that. That's it. I don't believe any manager would let personal feelings - no matter how they feel - get in the way. They're trying to win games.

It doesn't matter if we're in the playoffs or not, we're trying to get to .500. We've got something to play for. Guys are still trying to get hits and get wins.

Well being a manager is sort of like being a father. I was always held to be responsible because I was the oldest of five. No matter what happened in my family I was always in charge and always at fault. Being a manger is like being a father where your dad is the ultimate last word and disciplinarian.

When you're not scoring runs, you're always trying to find a way. Jacque knows he messed up, though it doesn't matter now.