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MLB EXPANSION DRAFTNovember 18, 1997Quinton McCrackenPHOENIX, ARIZONA Q. Were you surprised that you were drafted? QUINTON MCCRACKEN: I wouldn't say surprised that I was drafted. I was surprised at how high I was drafted, to tell you the truth. But it was a pleasant surprise. Q. What's your reaction, how happy are you? QUINTON MCCRACKEN: I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity by the Devil Rays to compete for hopefully a great job. I want to give my thanks for Coach Baylor and the people at the Colorado Rockies to give me the opportunity to play in the Big Leagues, because if it wasn't for them giving me that opportunity, this would be a moot point right here. Q. Did you think after this year that you proved yourself, that you could play as an every day center fielder, were you confident after the season was over? QUINTON MCCRACKEN: Yes, I did. I think I made tremendous strides this year as to showing people that I can play in the Big Leagues as an every day player, and as I said, I'm just thankful to have been given that opportunity by Coach Baylor and the people over in Colorado. I just took advantage of the situation that was given to me, and here I am today. Q. Any disappointment? QUINTON MCCRACKEN: No, I wouldn't say disappointment. It's tough leaving your first organization, and I have a lot of friends back in Colorado that hopefully I will have to say see you later, so long for now. But there's no hard feelings, no remorse. Hopefully this is a sign of bigger and better things to come for me. Q. Are you still going to go to Puerto Rico? QUINTON MCCRACKEN: I'm still debating that, to tell you the truth. I have to get back in touch with the people over in Puerto Rico, probably by the end of the week and let them know if I'm going to play this year. But right now, I just want to, I guess, concentrate on getting myself in tip-top condition and hopefully winning a starting job in Tampa Bay. Q. There has been speculation that you would be drafted and traded later, do you know anything about that? QUINTON MCCRACKEN: I guess the old Seattle rumor. As far as I know it's only a rumor and if it becomes fact, then I'll cross that bridge when I get there. But either way if that happens then hopefully that would be an even bigger and better opportunity for myself. I guess when you're traded or whatever, I guess someone wants you, so that's the perspective that I'm looking at it. Q. If you wouldn't have been drafted, what did you see as your future with the Rockies, considering some of the players that they have there, Walker, Bichette? QUINTON MCCRACKEN: I would say definitely probably the same feelings I had this past year, which I had no qualms about doing it for maybe another year. Like any professional athlete, you want bigger and better things, you want to be an every day player, and that's definitely my goal. So if I wasn't drafted by any of the expansion teams, I would have seen myself going back to Colorado and hopefully being that occasional spot starting, getting 300 to 350 at-bats again, and hopefully doing well, and helping the team win. Q. Say you do stay with Tampa Bay, say you get 550, 600 bats, what kind of statistics do you see yourself putting up? QUINTON MCCRACKEN: What kind of statistics do I see myself putting up? I'm definitely a table setter, so I think I would hopefully hit for a high average, steal a lot of bases and just play sound, just hopefully score a lot of runs. So my goal would be to hit 300, at least, to field in excess of 30, 40 bases or more, and score maybe a hundred or so runs a year. Once again depending on playing time and things like that. But I see myself as a table setter, the guy that's going to get on base and score a lot of runs, and play good defense. Q. You play center field, can you also play the corner positions? QUINTON MCCRACKEN: I have some experience in left. I played left, I think, two years in the minors and I'm able to make that adjustment. I haven't played there in, I guess, quite a while, for the past two years I've been mainly at center field. But I see myself making that adjustment. So I can cover all three field positions. Q. Were you surprised to be left unprotected and do did you think you'd go that high, and what was your reaction when you got there? QUINTON MCCRACKEN: With the number of quality players that we have in Colorado I wasn't surprised not being protected. I was pleasantly surprised to be selected as high as I was here in the expansion draft by the Devil Rays, but life's full of pleasant surprises, as I say I welcome the opportunity. End of FastScripts |
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