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!

My advice is that you go and do something that you are really driven to do. I loved to play baseball and, because I loved it, I practiced it. Some of us have limitations, but if you are passionate about something and if you have the drive, then you can accomplish it.

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

I think my career will be remembered for what it was and what it is, and I don't need more than that.

There are millions of people out there ignoring disabilities and accomplishing incredible feats. I learned you can learn to do things differently, but do them just as well. I've learned that it's not the disability that defines you, it's how you deal with the challenges the disability presents you with. And I've learned that we have an obligation to the abilities we DO have, not the disability.

It's not the disability that defines you; it's how you deal with the challenges the disability presents you with.

It was always just trying to move to the next limit. I didn't think about making the major leagues - every kid has that dream, I had it, but when I was in Little League I just wanted to make the junior high team. When I was in junior high, I wanted to make the Varsity team.