“This man is a great, great ballplayer. I don’t see anybody at first base better than that kid. Grace, Galarraga, Mattingly—I’ve never seen anyone better than this kid."
—White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen

"He’s like a shortstop playing first base. I love him."
—Guillen

"We thought we were getting a player who was entering the peak years of his career. We thought he would bloom into a big offensive hitter in Chicago."
—Cubs GM Jim Hendry

"We’re eyeball-to-eyeball with greatness."
—Sportswriter Rick Morrissey

"What he’s doing offensively is incredible. Defensively and around the clubhouse, he’s such a great guy. He continuously picks guys up on the defensive end."
—Teammate Ryan Demptser

"He’s a big ol’ man with big ol’ shoulders."
—Cubs manager Dusty Baker

"This guy is Gold Glove, he’s 6-6 and he can reach from here to Tucson."
—Baker

"He has a very consistent personality. I’ve seen a lot of guys’ performances dictate a change in personality. He's not one of them."
—Baker

"How do you put a ceiling on a guy that has his ability? You’ve got to let it evolve into what it’s going to be."
—Baker

"He’s been unbelievable. It’s indescribable how many clutch hits and big plays he’s made for us."
—Teammate Glendon Rusch

"Derrek Lee is one of the finest young men I have ever met. He's a classy young man and a credit to his game."
—Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria

"In high school, he fell in love with basketball. But it didn't last long."
—Leon Lee

"He’s a good defender as well as a good fielder. He’s very athletic, a tremendous first baseman, has power, can hit for average and has great plate coverage. He could be the next superstar in our game."
—Padres GM Kevin Towers

"He’s one of those guys who does things very easily. One of those natural guys, like Ken Griffey, like Barry Bonds."
—Towers