My major league debut came at old Busch Stadium on Grand Avenue in St. Louis, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first pitch I threw was to third baseman Bob Bailey. It was a fastball, low and away. He ripped it for a home run down the left field line. I said, 'Damn, that was a pretty good pitch.

That's the past. I don't agree with retrospect.

My major league debut came at old Busch Stadium on Grand Avenue in St. Louis against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Everything I was, physically and mentally, that's what I put on that field.

I threw all my pitches over the top which was important for me because my slider was hard to tell from my fastball at release.

To pick up the paper and read about yourself getting slammed, that doesn't start your day off right.

To get the feel of how the slider should roll off of your index finger, use this grip and practice at half speed and roughly half the distance to the mound.