"Mike's always throwing Scripture around when I'm in the cage," said player J.D. Drew. "He's very knowledgeable about the Bible—I'm very impressed by it. It's a pick-me-up." (About Mike Easler August 4, 2001)
"St. Louis is a phenomenal baseball town," Drew said.
"It's crazy to see the fans come out and support the
way they do now especially with the Rams playing (in
the playoffs on Sunday) and football and hockey season
still going on. People never forget about the baseball
team, so that's pretty neat."~Drew on the 2002 Warmups
"I love St. Louis and I think you'll get that from a
lot of players," Drew said. "It's a great place to
play. This game is a crazy business and I dealt with
it at a young age. I enjoy this town and I enjoy
playing for Tony [La Russa]. I love the guys in the
front office with Walt and the guys that work with
him. It's a great place to play."
"People are going to judge you on what they read about
you before they really get to know your side of the story."
"The way he came in made it easier," first baseman Mike Hardge said. "He came in and wanted to get to know everybody. . . . We're all doing the same thing. He's just making a little more money."
"Naw, I don't mind Will (Clark) at all. We got along really well. And I learned. He's a great player who brought a lot of fire to this team. I've just tried to take something from everybody, and Will's competive attitude toward the game is definitely something that everybody can learn from."
"I'm working on my attitude every day. My concentration, my effort, and playing the game that way."
"I'm praying a lot, man, living by faith. I'm not praying for homeruns or praying for hits, just praying to go out and compete hard."
"A 10 game streak isn't going to win tomorrow's game."
"I've always been comfortable against lefties. It's important to get some at bats against them so you can get a rhythm going. I think I've got that now."
"You get Matt Morris out there on the mound and see him give up a run early, it's pretty much a surprise."
"It's tough. But you take your slumps. It's just a matter of how you bounce back."
"I was trying to hit the ball hard up the middle, and he got the ball out over the plate. I put a good swing on it. You saw what happened."
"Matt (Morris) throws the ball so great. Today was probably the best day I've seen him since he's had his arm back after that surgery. And that's a confidence builder for us to see."
"In that sense, failure was good. In my faith and belief, you're going to have your trials and your troubles, but what you do with them is what makes you the player and the person that you are. I know this year exactly where I stand and how to go about things."
"Probably there's a lot more expected than there was the first two years. It's my turn to contribute a little instead of riding everybody's coat-tails."
"I was disappointed, but I learned a lot after 1999. I can't come out every day and take 200 swings in the cage and then try to hit, batting practice, on the field. You try to do that over 162 games and by August, you're just wiped out."
"Scoring runs early is huge for any pitcher. It lets him go out and do what he wants to do, not feel like he's pressed to not make any mistakes."
"God has a plan for my life."
"There's so much to learn about this game. Everything's constantly changing. New faces. New pitchers."
"That's kind of tough to swallow because I've played center field my whole life. I guess Tony sees me as a utility outfielder, but I'll accept that role in right field. I don't mind it one bit."
"I'm still young on this squad. If you include Rick Ankiel, myself, and Eli Marrero, everybody else had five years plus experience. I'm just still kind of taking it all in."
"I know I have a lot more to learn in this game."
"There's a lot of downtime at the ball park, in between getting treatment, going in to get stretched, and I want to fill it up with something constructive."
"People are going to judge you by what they read in the media and different things. They don't really get to know the person."
"You have to make yourself stay focused against him. You can't be anxious," Drew said. "He's been around the game long enough that he knows how to pitch you. He gets you in trouble with his pitches out of the zone." (about Glavine, May 4, 2001)
05/07/2001
J.D Drew, who has batted .481 during an eight-game hitting streak, is encouraging Cardinals fans to write in the rookie's name on the ballot. "I think I might complete some votes for him," Drew said.
Drew remembers watching Morris from the bench when he came up late in 1998. "I remember thinking, 'I hope all the pitchers aren't like this, or I'm in trouble," Drew said. "It was an amazing thing to see. And now, it looks like he's back with a vengeance."
Drew recalled Morris throwing a 96 mph fastball in the sixth inning Monday. "I said, 'These guys are in trouble if he's got that much juice left," Drew said.
May 8, 2001
"I've always been comfortable against lefties," Drew said. "It's important to get some at-bats against them so you can get a rhythm going. I think I've got that now."
"I haven't been here but a year. The fan support here is unbelievable. It's something I'll never forget, but I just don't feel I'm worthy enough of a curtain call."
"There's a definite routine that you've got to get set, and you've got to learn. I'm still feeling my way around. I've got a better idea this year than last year."
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