I've often wondered how a man who knew he was going to die could stand here and say he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth, but now I guess I know how he felt.

I thought I raised a ballplayer. You're nothing but a coward and a quitter.

They should have come out of the dugout on tippy-toes, holding hands and singing.

I can't play any more. I can't hit the ball when I need to. I can't steal second when I need to. I can't go from first to third when I need to. I can't score from second when I need to. I have to quit.

I never understood how someone who was dying could say he was the luckiest man in the world, but now I understand.

Today's Little Leaguers, and there are millions of them each year, pick up how to hit and throw and field just by watching games on TV. By the time they're out of high school, the good ones are almost ready to play professional ball.

The hardest thing to do in sports, I think, is to hit a home run.