I never smile when I have a bat in my hands. That's when you've got to be serious. When I get out on the field, nothing's a joke to me. I don't feel like I should walk around with a smile on my face.

Making the majors is not as hard as staying there, staying interested day after day. It's like being married. The hardest part is to stay married.

There is no such thing as a bed of roses all your life.

Failure will never stand int he way of success if you learn from it.

I am very proud to be an American. This country has so much potential, I'd just like to see things better, or whatever, and I think it will be.

In baseball, there is something electrifying about the big leagues. I had read so much about Stan Musial, Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson. I had put those guys on a pedestal. They were something special. I really thought they put their pants on different, rather than one leg at a time.

You got to play a hundred and fifty games a year, so pick your spots. You can miss two games a month; so pick the days you're gonna be hurt, or you're gonna rest or you're gonna have a drink or two. The rest of the time, be on that field.