The mark of a good hitter is someone who hits the ball hard, often. And if you run into a few home runs, that's fine.

I almost feel guilty. The physical toll is tremendous. Im exhausted and I only played nine innings.

The overriding thing has to be a love for people. If you don't love people, you don't care if we live in a morally degrading society. Christ is about love, and that's what we want to be about as well.

I wish I was just a left-handed hitter. It's really tough having to keep both sides sharp, and that's one reason why you don't see switch-hitters hit for that high of an average. You're always fighting one side or the other.

Obviously, the only reason I'm where I am is because God has gifted me and He has seen fit to put me where I am. I have to honor that by using my influence and my status on the team and in the game of baseball for good and to His purpose.

My father always told me that to be successful at anything, whether it was baseball or tiddlywinks, you have to be willing to pay the price. You have to be willing to do more than the kid down the street if you want to be better than he is.

I'll be a Houston Astro no matter what ... I would certainly want to leave myself open to a return to the team if that made sense for the organization and for me as well.