Nick Johnson Quotes

In the postseason, as many ways as you can get on base as possible is big.

When handling the ball, I always would look for daylight, wherever there was daylight.

I used to lead off when I was a rookie. I've always been able to bunt.

How are you gonna score if somebody doesn't drive in the runs?

My job has usually been to get on base so others can drive me in.

You score runs to win games. That's how you do it.

There's plenty of situations where we'll come up with guys on base, less than two outs, and those are opportunities for us to help ourselves out.

Usually, my track record's pretty good with guys on base.

It doesn't matter if we get a hit, a walk, hit by pitch; just trying to grind out at-bats.

If I can get on base once or twice a game, steal a bag, do something, then I'm happy.

However it is I get on base, or whatever happens, happens.

Sometimes you are going to have to games where you are going to have to manufacture runs, stealing. Particularly when you face real good pitching.

I want more runs in baseball itself. When you were raised on a sandlot, where the scores ran twenty-three to sixty-one, you yearn for something more than a five to two score. You know as well as I do that the excitement, temperature and decibels of any big game today rise instantly when there is someone on base. It reaches ecstasy when somebody makes a run.

On-base percentage is great if you can score runs and do something with that on-base percentage. Clogging up the bases isn't that great to me. The problem we have to address more than anything is the home run problem.

Hitting .400 is something you can do by yourself. But you have to rely on guys getting on base at the right time to drive in that many runs.

People say I stole a lot of bases. I stole the bases for a reason. I crossed the plate.

Generally in the Little League you're up against a good pitcher who throws like hell. What does the coach say? Get a walk. Isn't that beautiful way to learn to hit? For four years you stand up there looking for a walk.

I want to be the player who hits home runs, drives in runs.

Hitting the ball was easy. Running around the bases was the tough part.

I just wanted to keep the game close until we scored some runs.

When you hit a three-run triple, do you really need to get on third base, or do you need to stand on the double? You gotta be as smart as you can.

Even the slowest guy can go from first to third and help win a ballgame.

I'm not afraid to swing the bat. If they elect to pitch to me, I'm going to swing. I'm not as picky as Mr. Sheffield. I'll swing at something over my head.

I just try to get on anyway that I can, hit, hit-by-pitch, walk, home runs, anything.

It's one of those things: you can't really control how much you play or when you play, but when your number's called, I think if you make the most of your opportunities in this league, that's what makes good players. That's what I've tried to do in my short time being a starter, and good things have come from it.