I've always been uncomfortable, so to speak, when the focus is on me.
— Derek Jeter
Sometimes people complicate things by thinking too much about what someone might think of what they said or did.
Kids are our future.
You know what I want to do? Wake up one weekend and not have to go anywhere and do nothing.
I always have tried to treat people with respect, the way I want to be treated.
I have feelings. I'm not emotionally stunted.
I've been playing baseball since I was 5 or 6 years old. I've been on a schedule, pretty much, since I was in eighth, ninth grade. I look forward to not doing that.
If I put my name on something, I'm going to be involved. I'm not just going to put my name on it and not pay attention.
I've found that it's easier to stay in shape than it is to get into shape.
Obviously, you're known for what you do. But you still want to be known as a good person. You're a person a lot longer before and after you're a professional athlete.
Don't get me wrong; it's not like I didn't go out and have fun. But there's been a lot of players that come to New York and get caught up in the lifestyle, and before you know it, they're sent away to another team because it affected their performance.
I get asked enough questions, I try not to ask too many questions.
I'm very, very competitive. If my grandmother asks to race me down the street, I'm going to try to beat her. And I'll probably enjoy it!
I always appreciated the ex-players. Being a Yankee, you get spoiled. Old-Timers Day, all these guys coming back, spring training, being around them, you get a chance to get to know them. So I always think you learn a lot by listening.
The number one priority is playing baseball. There are so many people in New York trying to get you to do this and get you to do that, which is fine, but you have to take care of yourself.
The first thing to know about playing baseball in Michigan is, Michigan's really cold.
I wish I trusted people more. But when I meet someone, the first thing is, 'What does this person want?' And I put up a defense mechanism. But I've always been that way.
Any player that says they don't want to go to an All-Star Game is lying to you. It's something everyone wants to be a part of.
I attribute much of my success in New York to my ability to understand and avoid unnecessary distractions.
My dreams do not end with playing Major League Baseball.
You have to assume that everything you do is public knowledge. Everything. Because now everyone is a reporter. Everyone is a photographer.
I've never been an actor on Broadway, but it feels like you're on a stage when you play at Yankee Stadium. And that's the feeling I've always had.
I want to have a family.
I voted for Obama.
I've always had an interest in business, and my interest in business has really expanded over the years.
I love it when people doubt me. It makes me work harder to prove them wrong.
I think there's something wrong with me - I like to win in everything I do, regardless of what it is. You want to race down the street, I want to beat you. If we're playing checkers, I want to win. You beat me, it's going to bother me. I just enjoy competition.
I try to stay as private as possible; I know that's difficult, especially playing here in New York, but I make an attempt at it.
You hear about women buying shoes? I buy DVDs. I definitely have a problem.
I looked up to my parents because they were very successful in what they wanted to do. I was lucky; I didn't have to look far for role models.
You're playing a game, whether it's Little League or Game 7 of the Word Series. It's impossible to do well unless you're having a good time. People talk about pressure. Yeah, there's pressure. But I just look at it as fun.
I get nervous watching teammates. I get nervous for them. Late in the game, pressure situation, I'm nervous for them.
I've always been very aware of what I'm saying, but I'm also aware of what you're saying. I always want to make sure that my point is clear.
Surround yourself with good people. People who are going to be honest with you and look out for your best interests.
I don't listen to opinions.
The thing that means the most to me is being remembered as a Yankee, because that's what I've always wanted to be, was to be a Yankee.
I don't really see myself getting a Twitter account. Nothing against it. I get it. I especially get it for businesses.
I've always been very cautious with what I do. You know, that started at a young age. I always had the approach or the mentality I never wanted to embarrass my parents.
There's feelings there, but I think I've just been pretty good at trying to hide my emotions throughout the years. I try to have the same demeanor each and every day.
No former player has owned a team in baseball.
I think, a lot of times, players get in trouble when they're asked questions and they think they have to find a way to answer it. If you ask me a question and I say, 'I don't know,' there's really no follow-up.
I can have fun anywhere, as long as I'm with good people. But in the offseason, I like to go somewhere warm, a nice spot in the Caribbean.
Your image isn't your character. Character is what you are as a person.
I think when things linger, that's when they become a distraction. I don't want any distractions.
I'm not perfect; no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. I think you try to learn from those mistakes.
During the off-season, I go to the movies almost every day.
I always used to get in trouble for talking too much. When it was time for parent-teacher conferences, I remember that I was always embarrassed about what my parents would hear about me!
I always take criticism as a challenge. It's the way I've always looked at it.
I'm a New Yorker now, and believe me, there's no comparison between the Big Apple and Kalamazoo, no similarity at all. New York City's hectic, always in fast-forward, and Kalamazoo's more laid-back, smaller, slower.
You can't quantify everything a player does to win games.
