In the end of the day, I feel pretty good about the contributions you can make.

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.

By far, the best moment of my big league career was when I caught the last out at the World Series.

I had a marvelous baseball career and after my baseball career, there is an abundance of opportunity out there.

I kept thinking, 'this must be the coolest job - I'd like to be a professional baseball player.' They were getting paid to play a game, and what a cool lifestyle that was.

Get in the game. Do the best you can. Try to make a contribution. Learn from today. Apply it to tomorrow.

So many good things have happened to me in the game of baseball. When I do allow myself a chance to think about it, it's almost like a storybook career. You feel so blessed to have been able to compete this long.