“When you put a lot of hard work into one goal and you achieve it, that’s a really good feeling.”

What kind of influence did my parents have on my life? Well, they had the most influence. These are the people who are closest to me. My parents are very positive people. They’ve been supportive. They’re always there.

Athletics keeps us healthy, gets us up and running around. It also gives you an opportunity to meet a lot of different people, which is very important.

I always take criticism as a challenge. It’s the way I’ve always looked at it.

If you’re going to win games, you’re going to have to come up with the big hits. That’s the bottom line.

I go into every game thinking I’m going to be the hero. I have to, or I wouldn’t enjoy it.

It doesn’t feel different being here (at the All-Star Game) I feel like I’m on an All-Star team everyday.

I attribute much of my success in New York to my ability to understand and avoid unnecessary distractions.

My parents always felt if I worked hard enough I could make any dream come true.

Yankee Stadium is my favorite stadium; I’m not going to lie to you. There’s a certain feel you get in Yankee Stadium.

The big difference for me is that, as I get older, I find it’s a lot easier to stay in shape than it is to get back in shape.

I think when things linger, that’s when they become a distraction. I don’t want any distractions.

Surround yourself with good people. People who are going to be honest with you and look out for your best interests.

Defense usually doesn’t make many headlines, but it goes a long way towards winning baseball games. There are a number of ways to make an impact during the course of a game, and playing solid, sound defense is one of them.

As long as I’m having fun I’m going to play.

This is why you play – to get an opportunity to play in the playoffs.

I can have fun anywhere, as long as I’m with good people. But in the offseason, I like to go somewhere warm, a nice spot in the Caribbean.