Pitching Performance Quotes

Seven innings, three starts in a row, that's an improvement for me, and that's what I want to do: be out there in the game longer.

I've actually enjoyed pitching on the road in the postseason. You go out there, and you're getting booed, and it's fun to try to silence the crowd.

I think it's all a coincidence. I've pitched some poor games here and got a no-decision. But just give me the ball. I don't care where I pitch.

It's funny what a few no-hitters do for a body.

I want to become the type of pitcher any one in the world can say is the world's best pitcher.

As a pitcher, you can't afford to get too ticked off.

You feel like a stud out there when people swing and miss. As I've gotten older, I've preached to our young guys that strikeouts are sexy, but outs are outs, man, no matter how you get them. It's a lot cooler for me pitching in the seventh or eighth inning than it is going 5 1/3. Your manager likes it a lot more, too.

Gentlemen, for the first 60 feet that was a hell of a pitch.

I view my pitching on how confident I was out there, period. And if I lose that confidence, I can become a prisoner of my own mind.

I don't believe for one second that the eye surgery has helped me on the mound.

Six innings, you're doing your job. That's a good target to have, but I'm always looking to improve. There's three more innings of improvement left.

I take a great deal of pride in pitching deep into ballgames.

Zane Smith is a guy who can shut you out as well as look at you.

Our pitching could be better than I think it will be.

Since 1946, the Cubs have had two problems: They put too few runs on the scoreboard and the other guys put too many. So what is the new management improving? The scoreboard.

If the World Series was on the line and I could pick one pitcher to pitch the game, I'd choose Whitey Ford every time.

You know you're pitching well when the batters look as bad as you do at the plate.

No, I think the pitching today has more depth.

They could never beat me in Springfield. I loved that old ballpark. If I could have pitched there all my career, I'd be a 300-game winner.

I threw a good fastball and changeup, but a below-average curveball.

If I'm throwing a no-hitter and someone says, 'Hey, you've got a no-hitter,' obviously I'd be like, 'Yeah, I know.' I just try to be humble. I don't like to talk about myself. I have no problem speaking up when I screw up, but if I'm doing good, people are going to notice. I don't need to talk about it.

Regardless of how long it took or what I had to go through to get there, I had visualizations of throwing no-hitters or throwing shutouts.

I was a starter and did some good things there, and then I got a chance to prove myself as a closer. Because of that opportunity, I was blessed with the honor of being elected to the Hall of Fame.

When you're not hitting and they're making good pitches, it's hard.

There's been a couple of guys who have gotten me. I used to say Adrian Gonzalez. He's a good lefty hitter; he's hit a few home runs off of me. They were a couple of mistakes, so if you make your pitches, you're more likely to have a better outcome.