What He Said, What He Meant

Here's a tongue-in-cheek look at some of the recent quotes from Astros personnel. I have also provided a translation out of the "We gotta play em one day at a time" cliche, and gave you what they actually meant.

 • Brandon Lyon, who is projected to be the Astros’ closer, is running 10 days behind schedule after having a cyst in his throwing shoulder drained, but manager Brad Mills said there is no reason to be concerned.

What he said: "Not as of right now. After talking to Brandon, he feels good and he feels fine, so that’s not an issue."

What he meant: "We don't expect him to get a save opportunity for at least a month or two anyway, so there's no rush."

• C Jason Castro, the Astros’ top prospect entering camp, is excited about his chances at making the opening-day roster.

What he said: "Hopefully I put myself in a good position, preparation-wise, to do my best and have a good spring,"

What he meant: "I only have to beat out Towles and Quintero?! You better BELIEVE I like my chances of making the opening day roster!!" 

 

• GM Ed Wade believes a strong April is imperative if the Astros are to be competitive in 2010.

What he said: "We need the guys to get off to a good start, which we haven’t done in forever here, and sustain it over the course of the season," Wade said. "You can’t give every team in your division a head start."

What he meant: "Well, if we win early in the season, and keep winning throughout the season, we'll be in the hunt. Losing early in the season is bad, because then you need to win more games later.

• LHP Wesley Wright  is confident his time in the Dominican winter league will help him compete for a spot in the rotation.

What he said: "I learned a lot and had the chance to work on my changeup. Being down there was good for me, especially for my confidence."

What he meant: "It's nice facing a ton of guys that may not make the major league club. I look good when I face those scrubs."

•  Brad Mills on the competitiveness of Spring Training.

What he said: "We want it to be competitive, but we don’t want these guys to try to get those spots the first couple of days right out of chute. That’s when injuries happen."

What he meant: "Do we have wheelchairs ready? Some of these old guys may not even make it past the first month. I'm okay with a slow start in camp... heck, if we win 3 games, I'll be ecstatic!"