I've done a lot of growing up and realized a lot of things.

Back then it was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid.

Baseball has a funny way to tap you on the shoulder when you least expect it and tells you it's the end.

There's no place like New York. And I found out that until you go through it for a season, you really don't know it.

I'm focussing on what I haven't attained, not what I have. A lot has come to me early. I don't want to get consumed with that. Winners live in the present tense. People who come up short are consumed with future or past. I want to be living in the now. My goal is to play one full game in the now, but I haven't even gotten past the first inning yet. I start thinking about where my mom is or if my dogs have been fed. The average human has 2,000 thoughts a day. The really accomplished have 1,500 because you can focus longer. I need to learn how to focus longer.

We (Derek Jeter and I) always talk about getting old, gray, and fat when our careers are over and just having a good time. He's like me. He wants to have a good time and be a good person. It's a weird situation for us. It's just like we're looking in the mirror. the only difference is I'm on the West Coast and he's on the East Coast.

I’m fighting for my life, I have to defend myself. If I don’t defend myself, no one else will.