Any time I've taken the mound, it's always been the old Samson-and-Goliath story written about me.

We're at the crossroads, ... where we need to win to stay alive.

It's hard to mix with a crowd when you're walking down the hallway and everybody else is a foot shorter. I remember hanging out with my friends, like at the mall, and thinking people were staring at me and talking about me. It made me turn inside myself. I became more shy and quiet.

I listened to all types of music, and obviously when I got to Seattle I was very much aware of the music scene there.

I would think flying would be pretty cool. You would be able to fly away from all your enemies and get where you're going much faster. But being invisible? You probably wouldn't use that for the good of man.

When you can throw 97 miles an hour and put the ball over the plate anytime you want, it's fun.

I learned a lot from not having success, and realizing when you do have success, how hard it is to maintain it, and what you have to do to maintain it.