“Every baseball crowd, like every theatre audience, has its own distinctive attitude and atmosphere.”

I’d been shouting and shouting and no-one wanted to hear me.

I’d rather have happiness than money. People ask for it. Sometimes when I don’t have it. I make other people’s problems my problem because they want me to; they ask me to.

I’m going to become the Pope next year. Nothing is impossible.

I wanted to be a professional baseball player.

The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration then more practice and more concentration.

Baseball is just my job.

I grew up playing everything from rugby, football, baseball, volleyball, bike races and boxing. I tried martial arts, loved to ride horses and I’m the youngest of three brothers, so it was a fiercely competitive family.

It’s a relief now to be able to stand next to my godfather and finally feel like I’ve accomplished something in the game of baseball.

I don’t know what you guys say, but at home, life is way different from baseball.

I feel my time in baseball has come and gone. I feel like I had a great career. I had a lot of fun and have a lot of great memories. At one point in time, I’ll be able to tell it all. Right now that’s in the past. I see things differently. I more want to help.

I was a momma’s boy. I didn’t get anything from Dad, except my body and baseball knowledge. The only time I spent with him was at the ballpark.