I think when he is really good he pounds the strike zone and stays out of the middle of the plate. He always throws strikes, but the balls were catching a lot of the plate.

I think you should write for the [National] Enquirer.

I wasn’t too pleased about it. Derek got hit with a split. We knew it, they knew it. It just happened. … A guy gets hit with a splitter, Lowell gets one in the ribs...

I haven’t even asked him about his ankle. It’s a nice relief. He’s out there competing, he’s strong, he looks really good to me. He had a nice strong outing in Texas and he backs...

He’s going to be a huge part of the Red Sox, maybe starting tonight. I think it’s important … I think it’s great for his development to be here now. Anything he learns now and...

Sunday might be the most important game of the year. It doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t matter. I have tried like hell to figure out how to stop this rain. I just can’t do it....

We want base runners. I think Coco understands that. If he wants to take off every game, he could steal 30, easy. But we don?t want him to be 30-for-60.

We’re going home. We have a lot of business to tend to, but at home we hope to be a force. We have an important week; it’ll be fun.

How does dead-even feel with two to go? Dead even.

He’s an awesome guy. He’s one of the best players in the league. All the things we bragged about him the last couple of years, they don’t just go away because he changed his uniform....

I was like the last player on the roster. I was waiting to get released. I remember him treating me like I was the best player who ever existed. It made an impression on me.

I’m really hoping that Johnny Damon shows up and is really healthy,

From his point of view, once we got Wily Mo, this probably was not the best place to be.

A healthy Beckett is exciting.

I guess I was more worried about Johnny than disputing the call.

He spent all week working and working, and he was very good. We weren’t going to let a couple of innings sway our judgment. Red Sox Nation might have been in a little bit of...

I thought this was by far the best. He’s got a fair chance now to be himself.

They nick you and then when they do hit the home runs, it makes it a little more significant.

If we were a bunch of kids trying to look for the future, we?d keep running (Bard) out there, let him track them down. But a lot of what we?re doing is to stay with...

He didn’t let them spread it out (after falling behind 5-0). As far as he goes, I think he looked more confident. The velocity of his fastball is fine. Executing it and throwing his other...

It’s always going to be command. Again, having the extra velocity gives you a little bit more room for error. Having the ability to reach back for a little bit more at certain times of...

He looked strong. You always want to win, but we want him to get ready for the season.

J.T.’s a good enough hitter where, if something happens, he can hit. But if you have a guy who’s Gold Glove caliber and you have a lead, I think it’s silly to sit him there...

We won’t sit and wait for a perfect save situation.

The comfort I have is our ability to play. I know that we will show up and play the next game, and that’s what gives us the most comfort.

I don’t know about unique; I think he’s good. All good infielders have good instincts, but his baseball instincts are really good, [he] sees the field real well, knows where the ball is all the...

My last year in Montreal — my last Spring [Training] — I got released,

We needed something. That kid was sinking the ball. One pitch, that was the ball game.

We’re doing it now for obvious reasons, rest. We’re trying to take whatever happens and make it to our advantage.

We have three weeks left. He’s certainly not going to throw one inning and then start the season. But we’ll get him in games when he and [pitching coach Al Nipper] feel he’s ready to...

He paid his price and now it’s over.

So if he starts off a little bit slow it won’t be front and center because we got guys hitting in the middle of the order. We just want Mike to be as good as...

With him in the bullpen, the stability was really, really good. Even the games Schill had a tough time, we didn’t have to use [Mike] Timlin so often at a time when Foulke went down....

I bet he does. I think he knows how we feel. I don’t know how many guys in his situation would have volunteered to [go to the bullpen]. I would say very few. He gave...

The idea of the importance of winning today is there; it’s been there,

Maybe Dave Concepcion is coming back.

He’s run the bases on the back field, he’s taken balls in the outfield, he threw [Monday]. Again, we’re getting closer to him being able to play [left field], so that’s good.

I handed him off to Dale because I can’t stop him. He didn’t hit anyone with his bat, so we’re ahead of the game.

They got a lot of hits, and I think his knee was bothering him a little more than he let on. We got to a point early where you need to get outs and you’ve...

Good at-bats. It’s nice. First pitch, (he hits a) line drive. He ran the bases really well.

If [Huckaby] shows up [Friday] and feels OK, maybe we’ll let him catch on Saturday. We’ll see.

I think it’s rare where any team goes through a stretch where you have everyone available, everybody’s working. And I think he probably fills that role for us, because he can hit anywhere.

Yeah, that was much needed. We got deep enough into the game where we didn’t have to overextend somebody. It ends up being a great day.

I know the run he’s been on. Today we found out why.

Being able to walk in [team offices] in the winter and even say hello is important. I don’t believe in managing and going home.

It’s not easy coming back like that against anyone when you spot them five. But we didn’t take any innings off and we kept going.

I like our team a lot. Today was a bad day followed up by a tough loss last night. I like our team. Again, it’s impossible to go through the whole season where you don’t...

You wipe the slate clean. It’s probably a good feeling for him. He caught a break. And good for him.

Anytime we get two-out hits and they don’t, a lot of times that’s the difference in the ballgame. Boomer stranded some guys. That’s winning baseball.

The same thing we talked about with Dale, I don’t think Boston will intimidate him, because he’s going to get somebody thrown out at some point, and I think he’s able to handle that.