Never allow the circumstances of your life to become an excuse. People will allow you to do it. But I believe we have a personal obligation to make the most of the abilities we have.

In the 8th inning you can't hear the roar of the 9th, all you can do to hold yourself together, and trust.

I worked very hard. I felt I could play the game. The only thing that could stop me was myself.

I believe that challenges can push us beyond what we might otherwise be able to accomplish.

I wanted to be like Nolan Ryan. I didn't want to be like Pete Gray...And I don't want kids to be like me because I have one hand. I want kids to be like Jim Abbott because he's a baseball pitcher at Michigan and he won the Big Ten Championship game, and not because I can field a bunt and throw to first.

I had an incredible experience living in New York, playing for the Yankees, to go through all of the things I did, including the no-hitter. It was a very memorable time.

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!