To happen in New Orleans, being so close to Tampa, it could have easily been me or my family. I just thought, how could I sit and flip the channel and watch a football game and go on with my average day when people are out of homes and everything they've got? To turn my back on it would be a tragedy in itself. |
We had a close-knit family. That's one reason I was probably more shocked than anybody that someone in my family was on drugs. |
We know what this is about, regardless of what anybody says. They've had their way with us pretty much this year, and we have to go out and change that in our favor. |
We're playing like we are capable of playing. If we can continue to play like this we'll be fine. |
We're showing more enthusiasm now. |
We're stressing more this year to forget about numbers, just go out and do whatever it takes to win. If you have to get a guy over, get him over. Whatever you can do to get the runner into scoring position, then let the next guy drive him in. |
What did I do to be a villain? ... Well, I mean you can't look at it that way. I didn't initiate it. It's a situation where I showed restraint, and I moved on from there. |
When I get to flying open and killing people in the stands, it?s not good. That?s when you know my timing is not right and you can predict I won?t get a hit. That?s when I tell myself to use the whole field. That?s when I?m at my best. |
When it's done, that's the right time. When it happens, I'm sure it will catch me off-guard and I'll be happy. And if it doesn't happen, I'll have to do what I have to do. I just want to put on the uniform and do what I do. It's the fans that make me play the way I play. When I get the energy out of right field, especially in the Yankees uniform, those fans make me do what I do. I couldn't have played with one arm in Colorado. You can't motivate me enough to do that. Only the Yankees fans bring that out of me. |
When you're an everyday player, not playing is very hard. It's worse when the games are close because you can't do anything about it. |
Why should I have to prove myself again? Should I have to prove myself till I'm 40? I don't have to prove to nobody I can hit. How about you tell them not to pick it up. Tell him erase it. |
You can start out hot, you can start out lukewarm or you can start out cold. If you're a good team, it will show up in the end. And we are a good team. Baseball is played the way it's played - you can't just make something happen. |
You can't be sensitive, ... and play baseball. |
You got to do the right thing, you've got to live a certain way and do the right things that's required. If you're not doing it, you can't expect to be working for somebody. So they did what they had to do, and his situation I'm sure got to him and hopefully he can overcome it. |
You have to ask yourself that. |