My Mariners friend Doug passed this along to me, from the Pitchers and Poets blog, which in turn took it from Kirby Arnold's "Tales from the Mariner Dugout."
Now, if you don't remember Rey Quinones, he came up through the Red Sox system, and Ted Williams made the unfortunate declaration that Quinones would win a batting title someday. During his rookie season in 1986, he was traded to the Mariners as part of the Dave Henderson-Spike Owen deal. Needless to say, he never won a batting title. In truth, the skills just weren't there, although let's just say this mindset didn't help matters:
[Club president Chuck] Armstrong was walking through the Mariners’ clubhouse before a game when manager Dick Williams called him into his office. Armstrong walked in and saw Quinones there with Williams and general manager Dick Balderson. "Rey, tell Chuck what you just told us," Williams said.
"I’m a good shortstop, right?" Quinones said.
"You’re a very good shortstop, Rey," Armstrong told him.
"I could be the best shortstop in the American League," Quinones said.
"Yes you could," Armstrong replied.
"I’m so good," Quinones continued, "that I don’t need to play every day."
Armstrong was stunned as Quinones continued.
"I don’t need to play every day, and you have other guys who should play so they can get better," Quinones said. "So I don’t need to play tonight."
His major league career lasted four seasons.