Rick Sweet
Rick Sweet
Ricky JoeSweet is a former professional baseball catcher and current manager of the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. He played three seasons in Major League Baseball between 1978 and 1983, and has since had a long career as minor and major league coach and minor league manager...
guys hard impressed keeps knows might people pitching throw
I'm so impressed with him. He knows how to get people out. Sometimes guys who don't throw hard don't get opportunities, but if he keeps pitching the way he's pitching, he might get an opportunity.
believe hard stay
It's hard to believe what he could do if he could stay healthy.
battling fact focus force hard means pennant pride somebody step work
The fact that we have something to work at, like battling somebody in a pennant race, means that pride will step in for us. It will force us to play hard and focus on the game.
gaps guess hard hitting hot keeps running
He keeps hitting gaps and running, and he's 30-plus (actually 32) years old. He's the one who told me, 'I guess I'm just getting old.' But it's hard on you with all that running, especially as hot as it is.
expected hit offense poor start strong trying
We expected our offense to really be the strong part of our team. But we got off to such a poor start in Ottawa, and it's like we're still trying to get that big hit to get us going.
against ballgame ben care experience good help keeps learn step
Ben pitched a very good ballgame (until the fourth), but one of the things he has to learn is, when things are going against him, he doesn't know how to step back and say, 'What am I going to do here? What do I need to do?' He just keeps throwing. That's something that experience will help take care of.
bad good throw
Everything's up. He'll throw a good pitch, but there are too many bad ones right now and they're going to get hit.
Well, we don't have to come back here, and that's all I can say. We just need to get out of here.
ask needs though trust
I won't even ask him if he needs a day off, because I can't trust him to tell me honestly. I just have to tell him, 'You're off tomorrow,' even though he won't like it.
doubt ethic reason work
Without a doubt, his work ethic is the No. 1 reason why he is where he is.
ball cutting far paid practiced putting spent spring swing time training
That was huge. We spent a lot of time in spring training working on two-strike counts. We practiced that, as far as putting the ball in play and cutting down your swing a little bit, and it paid off.
click gets good offense pitching upholding
The pitching is upholding its end. Our offense is just a click off. When it gets there, we'll have a pretty good lineup.
bullpen everybody exactly guys help knows last sat talk three
We sat down and had a little talk with our bullpen and got everybody in roles. That's been a big help the last three games. Guys didn't know when they were going to pitch. Now everybody in our bullpen knows exactly when I'm going to use them.
everybody exciting people players shake stops time watch
Every time Stratton comes to the plate, everybody stops and watches. It's very exciting to watch players like that hit. You just shake your head, because not many people can do that.