He painted himself in a corner and fought his way out. That showed some pitch ability. One, some fortitude, two, and some more gray hairs on the manager, three.

It is something we have dealt with since Day 1. You can't recreate that environment. It's just the ability to go out there and slow the inning down as much as you can.

That kind of stuff, the notoriety, the pomp and circumstance, I think he's aware of it, but he doesn't get taken aback by it, nor does he get a big head over it. He's a very even-tempered kid. I just think he probably expects more of himself than [the fans and media] ever will.

We stuck him in there when we ran out of other options last year. He settled into that role real well. He's not just a guy hitting behind (Todd) Helton anymore. He's a legitimate fourth-place hitter.

Somehow we have to find a way to get him involved.

As a player, I was a quick-fix type guy, ... I wanted it now. The society we live in wants everything now. We're results-oriented. Well, I've come to understand that results are just that. And sometimes they come in their own time.