Matt Murton Quotations

We want to put last year behind us. This is this year, 2006.

We want to put last year behind us. Any time you can start off successfully, it helps you relax a little. You might not press as much.

Of course there's pressure. I know it's been a long time since the Cubs have produced any good position players, but that's not our fault. We just have to do what we're capable of doing. Hopefully, five or 10 years down the road, we can look back and say, 'See what we started?' But for now, we have to live in the moment and help the Cubs win this season.

I felt I got a good bead, then the wall became a factor late. I was fortunate to get up and catch it.

Getting a fast start is important, and fortunately we scored early. We got rolling in the first inning.

For me, the most important thing is to help the team win ballgames and play good fundamental baseball. They've been real supportive of me, and that helps me relax and go out and enjoy playing.

We've got to take the positives out of winning two out of three in this series and move on against a good Milwaukee team.

He's a great pitcher. We're fortunate to get some good swings off him.

That's what I'm trying to do every time I get up there. I'm still learning how to drive the baseball. Nothing's going to change for me today -- same approach. I'll stay in the middle of the field and work counts and get good strikes to hit and get on base to set up the lineup.

To be part of a team that's expected to win and come out and get the win on opening day is big.

We've got a great team. We're going to work towards that goal of putting ourselves in the playoffs.

Both guys had great stuff. Everything was low and sinking, and that can make it hard.

The wind out there was a tough thing. You had to give it your best effort and keep your feet moving.

That's what we're trying to pride ourselves on. We definitely have guys in the middle of the order who can drive the ball, but we realize our role and we're trying to make the most of our offense.

That should, hopefully, be every player's goal -- to get up in those situations and want to come through. When the game is on the line, you bear down more. It doesn't always mean you come through. Something I may have done in the past is try to do too much.

The biggest thing for me is to try to maintain the same approach.

Any time you have success in a situation, you have confidence.

Any time you have success in a situation, you gain confidence. A big thing obviously is that you have teammates to get on base to allow you to do that.

But I'm not a base stealer. I'll pick my spots. I have enough speed.

Hopefully, I want to be a guy who's a good hitter who will have power. I don't want necessarily to be a power hitter. I want to be a good hitter first. ... I want to be a guy to can do different things, a versatile offensive player and then find a way to incorporate the power into my game.

I appreciate it because I realize the things individuals go through to get to that opportunity. I feel so blessed. I'm thankful for that opportunity, but really, in some ways, you have to put it all behind you and you have to go out there and compete and play the game and find a way to get things done for the team.