I love baseball. The game allowed me the influence to impact kids in a positive way. This gives me a chance to talk to some social issues.

Early in my career, I decided I never wanted to get out of shape.

Ultimately, at the end of the day, you couldn't say you were better than the other person because you knew you had a secret. You knew you had cheated.

We consider ourselves the luckiest fans on the face of the Earth.

Whether your name is (Lou) Gehrig or (Cal) Ripken, (Joe) DiMaggio or (Jackie) Robinson, or that of some youngster who picks up his bat or puts on his glove, you are challenged by the game of baseball to do your very best day in and day out. That's all I've ever tried to do.

When things happen to you in the worst way, you live with it, you go over it, you think, 'What else could I have done?

I always thought being a gamer and someone who had a sense of responsibility to the game and to my teammates was the honorable thing.