All good balls to hit are strikes, though not all strikes are good balls to hit.

I always enjoy watching Derek Jeter play because he is a model of consistency both in the field and at the plate. I finished my career with 3,110 hits, and I have only admiration and respect for Derek. I hope he pauses to admire the view and keeps going. Just one more achievement in an incredible career.

I'm just glad to get off three-hundred ninety-nine (career home runs). It sounds like something you'd purchase at a discount store.

You have to go understand that life and baseball is littered with all kinds of obstacles and problems along the way. You have to learn how to overcome them to be successful in life.

All though I didn't meet him. His legend and his saga and his story is just that. Jackie Robinson, we all have to tip our hat to him. Because he made the game available to guys like me.

To the people out there, baseball is a simple sport. But it is complex. It is never easy.

And I found out, the other part of it is that I found out and in my desire to life successfully, that baseball fit very well into my life. It's been a great teacher, trainer, mentor and you'll see what I mean in the next few minutes that I have to speak.