Pete's Baseball Quotes

Rules & Ethics

Glen Waggoner:
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, Willie [Davis] had his head down, so when he pulled up at third, he didn't notice that the bag was already occupied by Tommy Davis. Yankee shortstop Tony Kubek, having taken the throw from the outfield, came over to make the tag. First he tagged Willie Davis. Then he tagged Tommy Davis. For good measure, he tagged the umpire and said, "ONE of you guys is out." (br p144)

George Bamberger, addressing pitcher Ross Grimsley on the mound:
If you can cheat, I wouldn't wait one pitch longer.

Gaylord Perry:
I'd always have it in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe off one. I never wanted to be caught out there without anything. It wouldn't be professional.

Allison Perry, age five, asked if his father Gaylord throws a greaseball:
It's a hard slider.

Heywood Broun:
The tradition of professional baseball has been agreeably free of charity. The rule is, "Do anything you can get away with." (New York World 1923, ho 252)

Lew Burdette, on his spitball:
My best pitch is the one I do not throw.

George Frazier, Yankees pitcher:
I don't put any foreign substances on the baseball. Everything I use is from the good old U.S.A.

Vada Pinson, before an Old-Timers exhibition:
I'm going to get myself a corked bat and blast one out of here. What's the suspension for Old-Timers games, 10 years?

Early Wynn, after dusting his son:
I've got a right to knock down anybody holding a bat.

Leo Durocher:
I'd trip my mother. I'll help her up, brush her off, tell her I'm sorry. But mother don't make it to third.

?, from "The Images of Their Greatness":
A colorful and likable man, Stanley "Frenchy" Bordagaray once lost his head and spit at an umpire. When he saw the size of his fine, he said, "It was more than I expectorated."

Pete's Baseball Quotes