They Said It

? Mike Cuellar, the Baltimore Orioles' Cuban-born lefthander, on how he tried to copy the Detroit Tigers' rookie sensation, Mark Fidrych: "I talked to the ball in Spanish, but I found out it was an American ball."

? Gene Mauch, of the Minnesota Twins, who is in his first year as an American League manager: "I've seen more inferior umpiring so far this season than I saw in 16 years as a manager in the National League."

? Bobby Murcer, San Francisco Giants' outfielder, on batting slumps: "You decide you'll wait for your pitch. Then as the ball starts toward the plate you think about your stance and then you think about your swing, and then you realize the ball that went past you for a strike was your pitch."

?Betty Richardson, after her third-place finish in the Delaware amateur golf tournament: "This game is 80% mental, and if you can conquer it mentally, you've got half of it beat."