Jim Tracy
Jim Tracy
competing guys higher intelligence level personal reason type
He was the type who got everything he could out of his ability. And the reason he did that was his intelligence level and a set of personal expectations that were higher than guys he was competing against.
ball bunt coming contact drive guy hitter outfield perfect pitches run
He had two perfect pitches to bunt. That's the guy you want up there to get the bunt down. You get the bunt down, it makes them have to make decisions. And we had a guy coming up who's a contact hitter who can drive the ball to the outfield to drive the run in.
great mechanics mind time tough
He had a tough time today, but that happens. You have to keep in mind that he's only 22 years old. He isn't going to be great every time out. I thought his mechanics were off a little bit.
cleaned debris hip left
He had the left hip labrum reattached and he had some debris cleaned out of his socket.
bad since stock
He has not had a bad at-bat since he's been here, ... His stock has risen, from my standpoint.
bench contend factor fan great handled knows player situation team
He has handled the situation very professionally and he's made a big fan out of me because of that. It's great to have a player like him on the bench that you can put into the lineup and the other team knows he's a significant factor to contend with.
afraid
He has competed very well. He's been very aggressive. He's not afraid to go after people. That's what we want here.
aware home matter sensible third waving
He has an aggressive, sensible mind-set at third when waving home a runner, and that's what I like. It's a matter of being completely aware of the situation, and he always is.
proud spring training
He has to be, and should be, proud of the spring training he's had.
extra jump
He had a little extra jump in his delivery. This was precautionary.
counts few puts vulnerable
He had a few more three-ball counts -- too many -- than I'd like to see. That puts him in a vulnerable position.
field great helped left longer reach saw short somebody swing trying wall
He got out of his game. He got out of what helped to get him off to a great start. I saw a much longer swing in Houston. I saw a very short wall in left field and I saw somebody that was trying to reach it way too often.
degree handled huge realize respect sitting
He doesn't realize what a huge backer he has sitting here. I respect him to the nth degree for the way he's handled himself.
ball good ground indication march pitchers positive sign starting
He got 13 ground ball outs, and that's good for a nine-inning game. That's an indication of how well he pitched. That's a very positive sign ... It's March 18th, and you want to see your pitchers starting to sharpen.