Find something you love, and go after it, with all of your heart.

I benefited from tremendous encouragement as a kid. So many people reached out to me, helped me, and believed in me even when I didn't always believe in myself.

What's cool about baseball is you don't have to see someone for years, but when you see them, you just hustle up and give them a big hug. Those friendships endure.

I knew how far a little boy or girl could run with 50 words of reassurance.

I want my career to be judged by what I did on the field. I appreciate the honors.

I could always throw the ball pretty well and I worked pretty hard at learning how to play the game. But I didn't consider it work as a kid, since I just loved playing baseball.

You know I still get nervous speaking in front of people. Speaking reminds me of pitching in that way. No matter how much you prepare, there is always that anxiety to perform. Those butterflies. You learn to embrace that stress. Eventually you realize that stress is what pushes you to perform at your peak.... But man the roller coaster! I told myself that after my career was over I would live my life quietly, out of the public eye, with no chance of embarrassing myself in front of large groups of people. Yet...here I am!