I play to lift a city, and raise a banner.

It's kind of glorious to say, "Oh man, this guy had his career cut short." I'm not calling myself Sandy Koufax by any means. I'm not in that caliber at all, but sometimes it has to end different.

A lot of people probably say I'm stupid, and they're probably right, because there are people who take days off who are still in the league, and I'm not.

It was pretty hard to actually have to say the words with my teammates, my wife and my boys there. I realized it was going to happen before that day [I announce retirement], but to have to announce it and talk about in front of a lot of people was tougher than I expected. I'm glad that feeling has kind of gone away. That sadness hasn't lingered.

I thought it might be a cool thing [food show] to do when I retired a few years later. Then retirement came slightly prematurely.

I play to lift a city, and raise a banner.

Coming up through high school, coaches would tell me not to swing so hard. It's the only way I know. It just happens.