There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.

Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he's losing; nobody wants you to quit when you're ahead.

If I had to choose between baseball’s Hall of Fame and first class citizenship for all of my people. I would say first-class citizenship.

The many of us who attain what we may and forget those who help us along the line we've got to remember that there are so many others to pull along the way. The farther they go, the further we all go.

I ought to break this trophy into 32 pieces

Are you looking for a Negro who won't fight back?

The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it.