Baseball America managing editor Will Lingo dug through the minor league quote book to let those involved put their own spin on the 2000 season.

"You guys said this was one of the best untapped markets for baseball. It sure is panning out that way. I pinch myself every day I come to work."

–JAY MILLER, general manager of the Round Rock Express, on the enthusiastic greeting the new Texas League team received from the fans of the Austin area. A few years ago Baseball America ranked the best cities for baseball that didn’t have teams. Among the top five were Austin; Dayton, Ohio; and Sacramento, all of which had record-breaking debuts this season. The Express drew 660,110 fans, setting a new league attendance record and nearly doubling second-place Tulsa.

"I’m not complaining, mind you, but it’s been one big headache. We feel terrible about it, but the players have been great."

–Sacramento RiverCats general manager GARY ARTHUR, who had to plan a 37-game road trip for his team to open the season. The RiverCats were waiting for their new ballpark to be completed, and when it was the fans responded. Sacramento set a new Pacific Coast League record with 861,808 fans at Raley Field.

"We had a temporary (bus driver) who looked like he was right out of a Cheech and Chong movie–he wasn’t all there. We were about to go get early work in, and he forgot where the bus was."

–Sacramento manager BOB GEREN, relating one of the many tales from the RiverCats’ season-opening road trip.

"The diehard fans are very loyal. People enjoy coming out here. They just don’t come out as often as we need them to."

–Longtime Calgary Cannons owner RUSS PARKER, who showed that not all of the attendance news was good. Parker had a deal to sell his team last year but backed out to stay in Calgary. The Cannons were one of five PCL teams that drew fewer than 300,000 fans.

"We want to achieve a better system for our client, and our client is Major League Baseball."

–Minor League Baseball vice president and CEO PAT O’CONNER on the elimination of two teams in the Florida State League and the addition of two in the South Atlantic League. Kissimmee and St. Petersburg are disappearing from the FSL, and Lexington, Ky., and Wilmington, N.C., will join the Sally League. The changes were aimed at assuring that every major league team could have a high Class A and low Class A affiliate.

"Maybe if we open at home again next year we can have Trapper Electric Blanket Giveaway Night."

–Edmonton Trappers GM MEL KOWALCHUK on the frigid weather that kept the Opening Night crowd down in Edmonton. Several other teams also battled nasty weather early in the season, including snow and rain that wiped out entire days of play in the International and Midwest leagues.

"Everybody is saying this is a lame-duck season except our staff. We decided this transition should be fun. Our whole focus is to leave a positive impact. But I have to be honest. We lost a lot of sponsors."

–Cape Fear GM BUCK ROGERS, whose Crocs spent a final season in Fayetteville, N.C., before the Sally League franchise moves to Lakewood, N.J., for 2001. Fans stayed away in droves, as the Crocs drew just 33,510 for the season.

"We’ve been completely married to Stockton ever since we’ve come here, but it’s no longer looking good for us."

–Mudville Nine GM KEVIN O’MALLEY, showing his disappointment in an environmental report that indefinitely postponed construction of a new ballpark in Stockton, Calif. Club officials are now considering other cities for their California League franchise.

"I think it’s a neat thing to strive for. You don’t want to be the person who comes in here and screws it up. There’s something about this place. Last year, I didn’t really get it."

–Harrisburg Senators manager DOUG SISSON, who was trying to lead the Senators to a fifth straight Eastern League title. Harrisburg made the playoffs but was swept in the first round by Reading, and Sisson’s contract was not renewed.

"I don’t mind pushing the envelope. I just haven’t found any midgets yet."

–New Lake Elsinore Storm GM DAVE OSTER, whose promise to introduce new promotions at The Diamond did not include Midget Wrestling Night.

"The night was almost like being in a movie. This is a great, great baseball town."

–Dayton Dragons outfielder ADAM DUNN on the Opening Night extravaganza at Fifth Third Field. The new Midwest League club became the league’s new attendance king, passing Kane County, West Michigan and Lansing with 582,623 fans, a new league record.

"We’re feeling good, but we’re not running around in our underwear doing the happy dance. We’ve been let down before."

–Fresno Grizzlies owner JOHN CARBRAY, reacting to the Fresno city council’s final approval of a new ballpark. The Grizzlies’ ownership group has been working on the project since 1995, three years before the team moved to Fresno. Even after officials finally broke ground, the stadium was still the subject of political bickering.

"I wanted to get him a quick inning and get him out of there, get his confidence going again, and he ended up throwing 35 pitches."

–Daytona manager RICHIE ZISK after reliever Chris Booker became the sixth pitcher in minor league history to strike out five batters in an inning. He gave up two runs and took the loss in a 6-5 game against Vero Beach.

"I thought I’d be lucky to get through five innings. They had a lot of stuff going on before the game, and I must have thrown 100 pitches in the bullpen."

–London Werewolves righthander BRETT GRAY, who struck out 25 batters in the team’s home opener in the independent Frontier League, a 9-1 win over Chillicothe. Gray signed with the Reds soon after that outing.

"I stood in front of the dugout many, many times, listening to the national anthem, thinking how lucky I was to be born in the greatest country in the world. Now to be able to represent our country, that is something."

–TOMMY LASORDA, after being named manager for the U.S. Olympic baseball team. Lasorda had not managed since 1996 but brought enthusiasm and publicity to Team USA’s efforts.

"I think a lot of people still have a negative impression from the early days of independent ball. But these are not the same leagues you heard about in 1994."

–Northern League president DAN MOUSHON, on the continuing hostile attitude toward indy ball from officials in the affiliated minors. Affiliated owners have talked about various rules to try to keep independent leagues away from their territories and have rejected attempts at conciliation.

"I miss good Chinese food. In any of the cities we’re in, if I find a good Chinese restaurant I eat there as much as I can. But I’m also starting to like fried chicken."

–Rockies righthander CHIN-HUI TSAO, speaking through an interpreter, on the challenges of life in the South Atlantic League. The fried chicken must have agreed with him, as he finished 11-8, 2.73 with 187 strikeouts.

"I had a disagreement with the organization about the way a certain situation was handled. I let them know about it, and they didn’t like the way I let them know about it, and they fired me."

–MITCH SEOANE, who was fired by the Angels as manager of the Cedar Rapids Kernels after 15 years in the organization. Seoane was upset when a player was told by a trainer that he was being sent to extended spring training, before Seoane heard about the move. Angels officials said they tried to get in touch with Seoane but were unable to reach him.

"We touted it as the future of major league baseball, and the future arrived faster than we thought."

–JIMMIE LEE SOLOMON, senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball, on the number of players who had already made it from the inaugural Futures Game in 1999 to the big leagues. Several players from the 2000 Futures Game were already in the big leagues as well, including Athletics lefthander Barry Zito.

"They weren’t really lost years, but I was a kid who really didn’t know what he was doing."

–Diamondbacks first baseman ALEX CABRERA on the six seasons he spent in the Cubs organization without getting past Class A. After playing in Mexico for two seasons and Taiwan last year, Cabrera exploded this year, batting .382-35-82 in just 212 at-bats at Double-A El Paso to take off to Triple-A and the big leagues.

"He’s a pitching coach’s day off. He has the pitches and he knows what to do with them."

–Arkansas pitching coach DAVE LaPOINT, after lefthander Bud Smith’s second no-hitter. His two were among 23 no-hitters in the minors this season, including four perfect games.

"Do you guys give tours or anything?"

–Pawtucket Red Sox DH MORGAN BURKHART, after learning that the Baseball America corporate headquarters is just a few blocks from Durham Bulls Athletic Park. And yes, we’ll be glad to give you a tour, if you have five free minutes.

"We calculated it, and we figured he makes more in a day in the big leagues than he did in a month in our league."

–Frontier League commissioner BILL LEE, after Morgan Burkhart got called up by the Red Sox. Burkhart, the official icon of the Frontier League, actually was the second Frontier alum to make it to the big leagues, getting promoted a few days after the Padres called up righthander Brian Tollberg.

"I bought a suit for the all-star gala. There was no way I couldn’t go."

–Pirates righthander BOBBY BRADLEY, who lobbied (successfully) to stay on the United States roster for the Futures Game even though he was injured and couldn’t pitch.

"The choice is not the player’s. It’s the club’s choice to call them up or not. It’s not the player’s call, it’s the club’s call."

–BOB WATSON, co-chairman of the Olympic selection committee for USA Baseball, on one of the biggest challenges that faced the committee: player availability. Though some players said they would like to play for Team USA, teams sometimes didn’t make them available.

"I broadcast Chicks games for 11 years–from ’87 to the bitter end, and I do mean bitter. To go from the lame-duck status of ’97 to this year, it’s like we just got a team. People are stopping me downtown and asking, ‘Tom, when did you start doing baseball?’ "

–Memphis Redbirds broadcaster TOM STOCKER, who could tell the difference when the Redbirds moved into AutoZone Park. The Redbirds drew 859,823 fans, narrowly losing the PCL attendance battle to Sacramento and erasing the memories of the city’s loss of its Southern League franchise after the 1997 season.

"I would encourage the winning fan to delay redeeming their award as long as they possibly can."

–MARK SMITH, vice president of the funeral home that sponsored Funeral Night for the Charleston RiverDogs. The winner got a $6,000 funeral gift certificate.

"It was total bad luck, but I want to tell the truth about what happened."

–Red Sox righthander PAXTON CRAWFORD, who fell out of an Ottawa hotel bed and onto a water glass, resulting in a nasty gash in his back.

"It will probably hit me tomorrow or after the season, but right now it doesn’t feel very good."

–Potomac outfielder ESIX SNEAD, after breaking the Carolina League stolen-base record of 105 that had been held by Lenny Dykstra. Snead finished the season with 109 steals. He was upset because the Cannons lost the game to Lynchburg.

"He’s the best in the league right now, but I can understand how someone might prefer to spend a few weeks in Sydney than in Shreveport."

–Round Rock manager JACKIE MOORE on the departure of righthander Roy Oswalt to Team USA. Oswalt went 11-4, 1.94 for the Express.

"This whole year has just been outstanding, a lot of unexpected surprises, just a lot of success I didn’t even really expect to happen."

–White Sox righthander JON RAUCH, who emerged from obscurity to become the Minor League Player of the Year and make the U.S. Olympic team. Between Class A and Double-A, he went 16-4, 2.66 with 187 strikeouts.