I'm a great believer in the character of the club. To me, character has a lot to do with how you compete. That creates urgency and toughness. That elevates the talent that you have.

Even when you have three strikes, you're still not out. There is always something else you can do.

It's like most anything. If you want to be a loser, there's always a way to dwell on the negative. If you want to win, there's always a way to think positively.

The thing I learned when I was playing was that your best way of winning was to make it difficult for the other team to score in the last three innings.

To me, there is no more conscientious umpire in the Major Leagues than Jim Joyce. He gives you a hellacious effort every time.

Pressure comes when someone calls on you to perform a task for which you are unprepared.

Just because you're down to your last strike, you're not out yet. You can always do more. You'll always have more at-bats to take. That's true in baseball, in rescuing animals, and in life generally.