But I'm not looking forward to trying to strike out a lot of guys

The reality is that my stepfather was like a father to me and watching him die from a sudden heart attack was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through.

If I put my mind to it, and I put the work in, I have no doubt I could do it (pitch 4-5 additional years), but I made a promise to the people who've supported me for so many years. It's time to give back to my family.

Going to Omaha for the College World Series - the people there are tremendous - huge crowds and a lot of excitement. I still remember those days - you make a lot of friends that you never forget when you win a championship like that.

The tradition you have at the University of Texas is like no other. It helped me in the future where I got to play in 2 cities that were rich in tradition.

My main concern is when it's 2-0, I've got to keep it at 2-0. It gives us a little more of a chance. To give up four more runs, that isn't going to get it done. I don't care who you're facing or who you're playing, it's not going to get it done.

He's (George Steinbrenner) the one who gave me a chance to get to the World Series. This is where I wanted to be all along. We had a couple of nice offers from other teams, but I tied my agents' hands. I told them I wanted to be a Yankee.