What you are thinking, what shape your mind is in, is what makes the biggest difference of all.

What's tough is being good every day.

When I was in Birmingham I used to go to a place called Redwood Field. I used to get there for a two o'clock game. Where can you make this kind of money playing sports? It was just a pleasure to go out and enjoy myself and get paid for it.

I always enjoyed playing ball, and it didn't matter to me whether I played with white kids or black. I never understood why an issue was made of who I played with, and I never felt comfortable, when I grew up, telling other people how to act

I played with the Birmingham Black Barons. I was making 500 at 14. That was a lot of money in those days.

They throw the ball, I hit it. They hit the ball, I catch it.

I think I was the best baseball player I ever saw.