I was a starter and did some good things there, and then I got a chance to prove myself as a closer. Because of that opportunity, I was blessed with the honor of being elected to the Hall of Fame.

It took a great deal of acceptance to come to terms with being an alcoholic, but the acceptance was key to my sobriety. If I had not gained acceptance at that time in my life, I would not be standing here today.

But through experience I learned to control my body and locate the ball.

You aren't going to stick around long with just two pitches

I can't recall too much about pitching, but I do remember that I was anxious to get it over with. I just wanted to get that first game over with and go from there.

I was in good control of my body, and I kept my head still.

I'm proud of the fact that I pitched almost 3,300 innings.