I might be shy, but in the field, where I have to do my work, I do it. I let my bat speak for myself.

I tried to use batting gloves at the beginning of every spring training up until 1999. It just didn't feel good.

I think it looked like I was a little more aggressive than I was, ... I swing at bad pitches anyway, but I was swinging at even more bad pitches and missing. It looked worse. But I was thinking about [the milestone], no doubt about it.

When we are youths in the Dominican, we pick up bats and balls because baseball is part of what we grow up with. The fun feeling you get playing keeps your head up when you encounter difficult times.

What I do is see the ball, hit the ball.

I dedicate all my time to baseball, because when you come from where I come from, you don't want to risk anything.

I don't think about how many people are watching me. I'm just happy to play baseball for myself.