Off the Couch
“If you see [Ken] Harvey and are struck by thoughts of optimism, then you’re made of stronger stuff than I. When I look at Harvey, what I see is another Dee Brown, a fat young singles hitter who’s only going to get fatter and slower. Brown’s a lousy left fielder; Harvey’s a lousy first baseman. Brown’s fat; Harvey is fat. Actually, that’s probably not exactly right. They’re not really fat. They’re stocky in a muscular way. But when you’re built like that in your early twenties, what are you going to look like in your late twenties? More to the point, fat right-handed singles hitters lose their value real, real fast.”
— Rob Neyer, ESPN baseball columnist, on the Royals’ rookie first baseman who is the club’s most heralded hitting prospect, robneyer.com
“There’s a reason that Ken Harvey lasted until the fifth round, just as there’s a reason that Dan Reichert is a complete disaster, just as there’s a reason that Mark Quinn is going to be one of the biggest busts in franchise history, just as there’s a reason that Mike MacDougal, despite having an incredible arm, isn’t anywhere near ready to pitch effectively in the major leagues. This [Royals] organization is sick. And while the patient isn’t terminal, if there’s a recovery, it will be long and painful. And while I plan to call the hospital from time to time, I no longer have the dedication necessary to sit by the bed, hoping for a miracle.”
— Neyer, who is a lifelong Royals fan, robneyer.com
“Where did he tailgate at? He went to his stadium and tailgated? A lot going on there in Kansas, huh?”
— Mike Leach, Texas Tech coach, when informed that KU’s Terry Allen tailgated at Memorial Stadium on the Saturday when terrorism had canceled college football, Topeka Capital Journal
“You’re a professional, but good Christ, you’re a human being.”
— David Letterman, reassuring Dan Rather that it was okay to cry as he discussed the terrorist tragedy on Letterman’s Late Show, CBS
GH: The Kansas City Star translated Letterman’s compassionate comment to Rather as “Good [grief], you’re a human being.” Good grief.
