Those people don't know how tough that really was.

Somebody once asked me if I ever went up to the plate trying to hit a home run. I said, 'Sure, every time.'

As far as I'm concerned, Aaron is the best ball player of my era. He is to baseball of the last fifteen years what Joe DiMaggio was before him. He's never received the credit he's due.

Ralph (Houk) brought out the best in everybody, and that included me. I consider myself lucky to have played for him.

Sometimes I sit in my den at home and read stories about myself. Kids used to save whole scrapbooks on me. They get tired of them and mail them to me. I'll go in there and read them, and you know what? They might as well be about (Stan) Musial and (Joe) DiMaggio, it's like reading about somebody else.

What did you say, Joe?

Well, I beat my man. Now it's up to you to beat yours.