There was a point at which I thought I'd never get the most valuable player, especially the years I played at Minnesota. We never won a pennant there, we were far away from the big media centers of Los Angeles and New York, and I wasn't a flashy power hitter but a guy who hit to spots, who bunted and stole bases.

I get a kick out of watching a team defense me. A player moves two steps in one direction and I hit it two steps the other way. It goes right Stan Musialby his glove and I laugh.

The way they dress here (California), your head is always in the stands. All those bikinis, your eyes get tired.

There was a point at which I thought I'd never get the most valuable player, especially the years I played at Minnesota. We never won a pennant there, we were far away from the big media centers of Los Angeles and New York, and I wasn't a flashy power hitter but a guy who hit to spots, who bunted and stole bases.

There is a special sensation in getting good wood on the ball and driving a double down the left-field line as the crowd in the ballpark rises to its feet and cheers. But, I also remember how much fun I had as a skinny barefoot kid hitting a tennis ball with a broomstick on a quiet, dusty street in Panama.

When you've learned to believe in yourself, there's no telling how good a player you can be. That's because you have the mental edge.

Hitting is an art, but not an exact science.