“After getting out of the service and going into baseball I never wanted to do anything else.”

In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my second season in the bigs.

I used to soak my mitts in a bucket of water for about two days. Then I’d put a couple of baseballs in the pocket and wrap it up with a rubber band.

The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up.

I knew when my career was over. In 1965 my baseball card came out with no picture.

I hit a grand slam off Ron Herbel and when his manager Herman Franks came out to get him, he was bringing Herbel’s suitcase.

People have asked me a lot of times, because I didn’t hit a lot, how long a dozen bats would last me.

Today you don’t have to do that, because catchers’ mitts are more like first baseman’s gloves.

Phil Niekro and his brother were pitching against each other in Atlanta. Their parents were sitting right behind home plate.

I saw their folks more that day than they did the whole weekend.

I don’t like losing. But I don’t think I ever go to the park where I have a bad day. I don’t think once.

I always tried to stay around .190, with three or four RBI. And I tried to get them all in September. That way I always had something to talk about during the winter.

Depending on the weight and model I was using at that time – I would say eight to 10 cookouts.

I was acting when I was playing baseball.

You know, I was once named Minor League Player of the Year… unfortunately, I had been in the majors for two years at the time.

He really showed me something. Struck out three times. Made an error that lost the game. Parents were throwing things at our car and swearing at us as we drove off. Gosh, I was proud.

The biggest thrill a ballplayer can have is when your son takes after you. That happened when my Bobby was in his championship Little League game.

Life has no plot. It is by far more interesting than anything you can say about it.

If you don’t have time to do it right you must have time to do it right you must have time to do it over. If you don’t know where you are going, how do you know when you get there? If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.

I wish I could make you see how much fuller the life I offer you is than anything you have a conception of.

The latest technology is not always good for anything except to the producers of the technology.

[John D. Rockefeller] didn’t care about anyone he did anything just to be rich and be the only company standing without any competition. He destroyed anyone else.

Many people feel they are powerless to do anything effective with their lives. It takes courage to break out of the settled mold, but most find conformity more comfortable. This is why the opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it’s conformity.

There’s something about an American soldier you can’t explain. They’re so grateful for anything, even a film actress coming to see them.

Is a currency worth anything if no one wants it? We used to buy shoes in Italy. Remember?