"Being a starter, you have to be more mellow, more relaxed. It was boring. I'm not that kind of guy."

"I don't think about delivery. I don't think about mechanics. I just think about throwing hard."

"I like it when every pitch counts. There are a lot of people who see it as a negative, but I try to feed off it."

"I love to hit."

"I'm me on the mound. I like to show my emotion, be real aggressive and give everything I've got for one half inning. I don't have to act. What you see on the mound is what I am in real life."

"It's the best feeling in the world. The game's on the line, and you're the guy in the spotlight."

"[In hockey] I was a goon, just protecting the better players. I've always been a better baseball player."

"Of course I get nervous. I get scared, but it's a positive scared."

"One thing about this game: It's really frustrating. In hockey, if you team's losing, you can start a fight. You can get your frustrations out."

"Sometimes, with two strikes and two outs, I step off the mound. People are yelling, they're yelling really loud. I step off because I want to feel it. You've got all that adrenaline going, you've got that rush. People think I'm thinking about something, but I'm just trying to listen to everyone and feed off it."

"This role (closer) is perfect for me. I love the adrenaline rush that I get as I jog out to the mound with the fans cheering me on. There is nothing like it."

"You have to be out there and have a mound presence. You have to be real aggressive and be real confident. You have to put the hitters on defense."

"You want to be as dominant as possible and you want to put some doubt in the hitters' heads. That's what I'm trying to do every single time I'm on the mound."

"He has a lot of things going for him. His stuff is the best in the league. Not only is he throwing 96, 97, 98 mph, he's throwing it where he wants to and he's throwing three pitches for a strike." - Paul Lo Duca

"He's an ornery guy, but if a ballplayer doesn't have a little orneriness, you're wasting your time." - Lloyd Simmons

"He's devastating. He throws 95 to 100 mph, he can put it pretty much where he wants it, and his best pitch is his changeup. That's pretty scary." - Paul Quantrill

"His command is absolutely impeccable, his pitch efficiency as good as there is in baseball. A few years from now he will be a more powerful version of Dennis Eckersley." - Jim Tracy

"His enthusiasm for the game fits the role of the closer. The mystique he brings to the mound is great, but it pales in comparison to the stuff he brings. It's one thing to be flamboyant or have antics, but you can't intimidate big-league hitters." - Trevor Hoffman

"I think the closer role fits him, and he's eating it up. I know he's having fun when he's smiling. He's facing the best hitters in the game and doing well. His confidence level has risen to unbelievable heights." - Paul Lo Duca

"I would say the best thing that ever happened to him was to become a closer. With his fastball, plus a good changeup, plus a good curveball, nobody has a chance against this guy. This kid is nasty, nasty, nasty." - Odalis Perez

"Not only does he go out there and get it done, but he gets it done with such devastation. That's how he's built a reputation so quickly." - Jim Tracy

"Somebody told me he used his breaking pitch as a 'show' pitch. Yeah right. I call it a 'show-you-back-to-the-dugout' pitch. There needs to be an ordinance against that." - Trenidad Hubbard

"There's something about putting on the closer's clothes that gives Eric a special armor of invincibility." - Jim Colborn

"With his mentality alone, I knew he had the makings of a great closer." - Brian Jordan