Quotes by Jeff Pentland

“He just amazes me with what he can do.”

“Theyre both a big part of what were trying to do to get better, but its not just them.”

“I saw the tapes [from last year], and I saw a guy that was uncomfortable and not attacking the ball. But we met and everything went well. We made a lot of progress. I think hes very hungry. I think youre going to see a very different Jeremy Reed.”

“We made a lot of progress. Im not one to put expectations on people, but I think youre going to see a different Jeremy Reed this year.”

“Its mostly confidence. From a technical standpoint, you look at last years tape and compare it to the year he had with Dodgers, and theres not a lot of outstanding problems. Hes close technically, with maybe a little tinkering or refining needed here and there.”

“We spent a lot of time on communicating with one another, getting a feel for one another, and understanding that the best thing that happened for him in 2005 was that he got his first year in the big leagues under him.”

“They talk about his defense, but what I saw offensively was not a weak shortstop. Hes got more strength than I was led to believe. Anybody can do the drills when the ball is coming at you at 50 miles an hour (in batting practice), but I like what I see early.”

“Rome cant be built in a day and I know theres been a lot of good people here before. Its a challenge for me certainly. Hopefully, I can help and I can make a difference.”

“Were very good friends. But essentially I learned a long time ago, you need to do things your way. If it happens, so be it. If it doesnt, theyll probably bring in another guy.”

“Its a really good sign that hes hitting. He left hitting the ball pretty good. He was hitting it long ... and far.”