Victor Martinez: 'This is when we need the fans the most'

The Tigers entered Wednesday night's game with a .385 win percentage since the All Star Break, having just recently surrendered first place to the Kansas City Royals. It's been a rough stretch, as the fans well know. After pulling out a much-needed comeback win against the Pirates on Wednesday night, Victor Martinez spoke to the press about the team's difficulties, but he also had several words for the fanbase. (h/t to Dana Wakiji for posting the quotes on Twitter.)

Here are a few of the more salient quotes:

• "If you're just going to be with us when we're doing good, we really need the fans when we struggle, too."
• "It bothers me because people think that we're playing Little League teams out there ... We wish that we can go 162-0."
• "We're not gonna keep playing like this for too long. We've got too good of a team."
• "[The fans] have all the right to be mad but I just let everyone know that it's not that easy like they think."
• "We're trying. We're giving our best out there, man. There's nobody that gets more frustrated than we do."
• "I'm desperate. I want to get that World Series ring on my hand. I never had a chance to win. Never."
• "It just bothered me a little bit because the people just think that we have to win the division by 10 games, 20 games."
• "I want [the fans] to understand that we're really trying. We don't want to give it up, we don't want to lose."
• "We're in a really tough stretch and this is when we need the fans the most."
• "As soon as the team goes outside and sees the atmosphere outside, the fans in the game, we feed off that."
• "We want the fans to keep backing us up."

Sort of makes you want to go out and buy tickets, doesn't it?

The full quote, via Dana and Noah Trister:

"It's not fair when people out there are thinking that we've got to win this division by 10, 15, 20 games. We're not playing Little League teams, we're trying. It's too long of a season. At some point you're going to struggle. Every team struggles at some point.

As a fan, if you're going to be with us when we're doing good, we really need the fans when we're struggling, too. It bothers me. It bothers me because people think that we're playing Little League teams out there. One thing for sure is every day we show up, we're ready to beat the other team. A lot of times it ends up on the good side, a lot of times in the wrong side. We (were winning) the division by three to four games and I hear people complaining. I heard some negative comments."

"If somebody has to be panicked, it's us here. We're the ones playing. We're fine. We believe in what we've got. We're not going to keep playing like this for too long. We've got too good of a team. Every team struggles at some point. Look at it during the season, every team struggles. We wish that we can go 162-0. They have a right to be made, but I just let everyone know that it's not that easy like they think. We're not gonna go out there and run over everything. I wish. I can have five, six RBI every night, that would be perfect for me and the rest of my teammates. Guys on the other side, they have families too. They are in the big leagues for a reason, let's don't forget that part. We're trying, we're giving our best out there, man. There's nobody that gets more frustrated than we do. I don't want to go out there and leave the bases loaded, strike out with men in scoring position. I don't want that, I want to win. I'm desperate, I want to get that World Series ring on my hand. I never had a chance to win. Never."

"When things are not going your way, a lot of times we're just trying to do too much. We just gotta relax, sit back and let things happen. You can't hit a three-run homer with nobody on. That part when you struggle, and it's when everybody struggles at the same time, it's not fun."

"Personally I don't think that I have ever paid attention to that (negative comments) like this time. It just bothered me a little bit because the people just think that we have to win the division by 10 games, 20 games. We were winning the division by 3, 4, 5 games and I was hearing some complaints and stuff. I don't read papers. It bothers you because again, this game is not as easy as it seems when you're sitting in the stands."

"Again, they have all the right to be made because they're paying whatever kind of money to come here and see a good show. But I want them to understand that we're really trying. We don't want to give it up, we don't want to lose. We're in a really tough stretch and this is when we need the fans the most. As soon as the team goes outside and sees the atmosphere outside, the fans in the game, we feed off that. We feed off that and that's what we want to see, we want the fans to keep backing us up."