There were a lot of times in the Cleveland and Chicago organizations when I did something, they wanted to make sure the camera was there. I really didn't want that. This isn't something my parents told me to do. Or something my family told me to do. Or do things for publicity. I do this on my own. I do this from my heart.

We need to start acting like a team, focus on winning and not worry about all of the other stuff that goes on. We lost our focus last year. We worried about who was being hired, who was being fired. That's got to change. We don't need any more finger pointing. We need to act like a team.

I mean, people think I'm too intense for baseball. I've always excelled to be the best, no matter what, but it's like people think something is wrong with that.

The way I figure is we win as a team and we lose as a team, but I've got to figure out some way where I can have a better April and help the team get off to a better start. I normally heat up when it gets warm, but it would be nice to come out of April and everybody is chasing you.

People don't need to know what Albert Belle is thinking. I've learned from my mistakes in the past, and that's what's made me a better person.

I have high expectations for myself. I'm not out there playing the game just to be playing it. I want to win a championship.

If (Mike) Hargrove was his own man, I would have been picked (for the 1998 All-Star team). He is another person who doesn't appreciate what I did for him.