And then 45 years later, as I finished my career in the great city of Cleveland, that was another great way to end my career, going to the World Series.

You know, many of you kids can't relate to what it takes to get to the top rung, the top of the heap, to have success. We're looking for things that come in a minute. It just doesn't happen.

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.

Tom Cruise only makes one or two film appearances a year. A baseball player can be the hero or the goat one-hundred and sixty-two times a year.

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.

These days baseball is different. You come to Spring Training, you get your legs ready, you arms loose, your agents ready your lawyer lined up.