Dan O'Brien's Best(Worst?) Quotes

[CincyRedsFan30]

False!

LOL!

[CincyRedsFan30]

"Interest in our players has been spread pretty much evenly between veterans and young players. We're status quo on our young players, meaning we aren't interested in trading them."

[Fishercat]

Superb thread, gave me some laughs. Rep +

[CincyRedsFan30]

Oh, and if you only heard the guy in person when he talks, the things he says are even funnier. He sounds like a robot. He has a slow and "methodical" sounding voice, with almost a nasal-like sound to it. LOL

[redsrbetter]

Another good one CRF! Thanks man!

[CincyRedsFan30]

I STILL can't get over this. It looks like Dan made that guy below him laugh despite the HUGE 7-0 deficit in the 1st(LOL):

[CincyRedsFan30]

"In general terms, we like the younger players that we have," he said. "We feel like they're part of our future, and, therefore, our intent is they remain part of our core. But that's not an absolute promise. There's always things that can come up."

"All I can tell you is this: Rumors have no basis in fact," O'Brien said Tuesday, checking in via cell phone from Sarasota, Fla., where he's scoping out the Reds' Gulf Coast League and Florida State League squads. "So it's not something we're preoccupied with."

"It's borne out of respect for the players," he said. "We don't think it's appropriate on a professional level for us to be involved in either promoting rumors or throwing out specific players' names in discussion. As an organization, that's our philosophy. For this organization at this time, that's the appropriate way to go about business."

Though he keeps his cards hidden, O'Brien did have no problem allowing that pitching would be a priority as far as acquisitions are concerned.

"It's remarkable that you can read my mind," he said with a laugh. "By and large, we're looking for younger players who are Major League or near-Major League ready."

[CincyRedsFan30]

"That the young players who make up the nucleus of our team are the ones we want to retain. The only thing that would cause us to go in that direction is if we are overwhelmed with a deal."

"Griffey is a 10-and-5 player, and we need to get his permission to trade him. He and I have not visited, so that should give you a good indication."

[CincyRedsFan30]

When asked if more trades are coming:

"Anything is possible, but I don't know that I can handicap anything, but there is a long way between now and July 31 (the trade deadline)."


Other O'Brien quotes this evening:

"The quality of the young pitching prospects that we received, coupled with our organizational needs [made this deal unable to turn down]," O'Brien said. "When we had an opportunity to get a young man who's pitching in Triple-A at 22 years of age and a young man who we really like at Double-A, with their collective abilities, we're really pleased.

"This was the best package of young pitchers that was available to us, of [all] the deals that we had discussed."

"The young man Travis Chick, he's a power arm," O'Brien said. "And command is what he's still trying to acquire. But strikeouts will work in any ballpark.

"The other man, Justin Germano, is more of a three-pitch mix, but he has an outstanding curve ball, and that's how he accumulates his strikeouts. Yes, we think they'll fit quite well in this ballpark."

"I think, realistically, Travis Chick is still a couple years [away from being] ready to come up here," O'Brien said. "Justin Germano is, perhaps, a much more short-term individual who you might see this year, but certainly an inkling of what he can do on the radar will come [by] next year."

"I can assure you that on every phone call, the first word out of my mouth is 'pitching,'" O'Brien said. "Not to the exclusion of helping us in other areas, but pitching is our No. 1 priority, and it has been all along."

[Cincy]

"The other man, Justin Germano, is more of a three-pitch mix, but he has an outstanding curve ball, and that's how he accumulates his strikeouts. Yes, we think they'll fit quite well in this ballpark."

So were you thinking the same thing when you traded for Ortiz and signed Milton, Dan?

[ghettochild]

"The other man, Justin Germano, is more of a three-pitch mix, but he has an outstanding curve ball, and that's how he accumulates his strikeouts. Yes, we think they'll fit quite well in this ballpark."

he obviously pitches to contact

[CincyRedsFan30]

Danny O was in "Quote Mode" this morning, and flip-flopped many, many times. He always seems to find a way to look "good" whether something does or doesn't happen:


"There are three levels," Reds manager Dan O'Brien said, "inquiries, then interest, then finally consummating a trade. I would say we're still in the inquiry stage."

You would think that things would pick as the deadline gets closer. "Human nature would indicate that," O'Brien said. "But we haven't gotten a sense of that."

"Human nature says, as a deadline approaches, the chance of (something getting done) increases," he said. "But I haven't really gotten a sense of that today (Thursday). We'll see what every day brings, but so far there have been no surprises, let's put it that way."

At this point, there's sort of three levels," O'Brien said. "There's inquiries, then you reach the stage where there's interest, then you reach the stage of hopefully consummating a deal. I'd say for the most part we're in the inquiries stage, still, as we speak."

[CincyRedsFan30]

O'Brien had yet to be approached by Aurilia by the time Friday's game began, and, as is the GM's policy, he declined to discuss whether any deals involving Aurilia were imminent.

"But let's just say it takes two to make a deal," O'Brien said.

[CincyRedsFan30]

"Except for my half-hour radio show, my phone has been ringing constantly," he said. "Some individuals have the perception that there is a blockbuster on the way and there isn't.

"This doesn't mean we're content with the team, but if we don't have a deal that makes sense for us, we're not going to do a deal for the sake of a deal," he added.

"Gee, I hope that message is out," said O'Brien. "I've been very forthright in stating that."

Since June 1, the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Devil Rays are tied for the worst record in the majors at 18-32, yet the Padres lost only one game in the standings and remain firmly entrenched in first place in the National League West.

"What? That's impossible. How do you do that?" asked O'Brien. "That can't be done."

[CincyRedsFan30]

"We're not going to make a trade just for the sake of making a trade," he said. "Our No. 1 priority was [trading] Randa. We accomplished that. And if any other scenarios were to unfold, it would be based on a deal that we feel is in our best interests. A fair deal, but one that would have to benefit the organization."

"If a team wants a regular Major League player from you, however you want to define that, we have to have some Major League-caliber pitching coming back our way," O'Brien said. "That's where the rub is."

"It's a little difficult for them to part with that commodity at this time of year," O'Brien said.

"Sometimes people don't appreciate the fact that the trade deadline doesn't preclude other opportunities from unfolding in August or even in the month of September," O'Brien said. "A lot can happen."

"As I've said, our posture isn't because we're content with the 25-man roster," he said. "We're always looking to improve. But the time of the trade may not be appropriate. It might have to potentially be something in the offseason."