Jim Crow was king... and I heard a game in which Jackie Robinson was playing, and I felt pride in being alive

The stiffer the penalty, the greater the message is sent.

Competition is what keeps me playing the psychological warfare of matching skill against skill and wit against wit.

Your bat is your life. It's your weapon. You don't want to go into battle with anything that feels less than perfect

You can't be afraid to make errors! You can't be afraid to be naked before the crowd, because no one can ever master the game of baseball, or conquer it. You can only challenge it.

One of the trademarks of a champion is that he can outlast you.

If you're successful in what you do over a period of time, you'll start approaching records, but that's not what you're playing for. You're playing to challenge and be challenged.