Ryan Garko Quotations

My goal is to be an everyday player at the major league level. As much as I like catching, that was not going to happen as a catcher. So I'm all in favor of the switch.

I feel confident now that I can catch at the big league level. I know everyone's always said, 'His bat's ready, but where is he going to play?' But I think I can catch. Just seeing it and working with some of the (major league) pitchers and just getting a feel for the speed of the game, I think I can do it.

If someone says something, you know who said it.

I was here last year, and I saw it then. It's a lot of young prospects, and we're so accessible. If you collect autographs, it's the best scenario because there are no crowds and it's quiet.

That's real unusual, but I thought Ted had real good stuff and just kind of lost it for a while. Sometimes that can happen. In a close ballgame like that, we were fortunate to get that off him.

I just want to show them that if something happens in April, I?m a guy they can call upon. I want to show them I have a good work ethic and I can handle the position.

He's so tough because his fastball might be his third-best pitch.

I feel like an infielder now. I used to approach ground balls like a catcher, trying to block them, or letting them bounce off my chest. Now I'm using my feet, and moving around like an infielder. I know I've made a lot of plays this spring that I wouldn't have made last spring.

The great thing about being in the major league camp is that you get to face more major league pitchers, which helps you learn how they go about trying to get outs. I also like being here because it gives me a chance to see how the veterans get ready for the season. It's not about being ready to play on March 15, it's about getting yourself ready for opening day.