Get QuoteDark Inspirational Quotes App

" There's a bigger difference now than when I first got into professional baseball because that was before guaranteed contracts, before there was a lot of money, so it was mostly survival. You had more competition. "

Tony La Russa

Survival

Baseball

Competition

Related Quotes:

" I'm not a big 'Moneyball' fan. "

Tony La Russa

Fan

Big

" I think there's a growing number of pitchers who want to have a plan going into a game about how they're going to go after that lineup. I'd say 75 percent want to have an idea, and they plan their attack. I know that 75 percent of hitters do not have that same type of plan against a pitcher. "

" There are always distractions, if you allow them. "

" I was a lousy player with virtually no experience managing. "

" I can only think of about four players who I do not have anywhere from a good to a great relationship with. "

" If you watch the history of baseball, teams come back, and sometimes they could have come back, but they give in or give up. "

" My mind is just a product of 50 years of being taught. I'm no smarter than anyone else, but I've been taught by some wonderful people. "

" I think the game is so mental. If you sit around and you're mentally strong, you're ready. "

" Clubs are taking away the steal of home. Not only are more pitchers throwing out of the stretch position, but more third basemen are playing closer to the bag. But another reason why nobody does it much anymore is that some guys, no matter how fast they are, just aren't comfortable trying to steal home. "

" I've been so fortunate in life to have worked for such great organizations, with great owners and general managers and all the great players, along with the support of my family. "

" You know, I think when you coach or you manage, you make decisions, and there's some that are really, really tough. "

" If you're a coach, and you don't have trust with players, you've got no chance, and your credibility is zero. And that's why it's so important to tell them the truth. If you have something that you're upset about, tell them the truth. If they're doing something wrong, tell them the truth. "

" I've said this: If Jim Leyland had been in my place, he'd have the 2,000 wins and I'd have 1,000. Leyland is the greatest. "

Tony La Russa

Had

Said

" To me, there is no more conscientious umpire in the Major Leagues than Jim Joyce. He gives you a hellacious effort every time. "

Tony La Russa

You

Effort

" I'm not going to manage again. I'm going to work for a team someday. But it won't be managing. "

" It's easy to figure out whether you're getting stale. All you've got to do is look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. "

" I have coaching friends, and when we get together, we often talk more about what we're doing to get players' attention than we do about the fascinating X's and O's of our sport. "

" We're all men, not machines. We make mistakes. "

" Anything that disturbs your comfort factor is good for you. "

" What you end up doing is you try to match your guy's strength against a place they can be successful. They're doing the same thing against us. Sometimes they have the edge, sometimes you have the edge. "

" I'm a great believer in the character of a club. To me, character has a lot to do with how you compete. That creates urgency and toughness. That elevates the talent that you have. "

Tony La Russa

Character

Great

" Winning in Oakland in '89 was distinguished because that was truly a great team on a mission to prove that '88 was not what we represented. I look at that team in awe. It was a push-button team. "

" When you don't have the deepest pockets, you better have the best scouting and development. "

" If the national government doesn't fix your problem, you've got a problem. You've got to fix it yourself. That's just part of the American way. "

" You've got to acknowledge what you did wrong and see if you can fix it to the extent possible, and turn the page. "

" If you seriously aspire to be a manager in the big leagues, there is a baseball 'book' that one must learn. Alongside that book, you must practice Spanish. Of 25 players on each roster, sometimes there are between eight and 15 players who speak Spanish. "

" It's a sensitive thing, playing major league baseball. "

" I don't miss being in the dugout - I'll make that clear. "

" You can't manage by memo. You can't stand up there and just send out edicts. I think you just gotta really personalize your relationships. "

" I think each negotiation should be based on what's the best decision - taking everything into account, not taking one thing into account. "