I'll never be that guy who's going to yell and scream at people.
— Ken Griffey Jr.
If I can get on base once or twice a game, steal a bag, do something, then I'm happy.
A franchise player, to me, is a guy like Kirby Puckett, Cal Ripken, a guy who's been in one organization through their entire career.
I'm lucky. I got a chance to play major-league baseball.
Kids always think about being the MVP.
I may not hit 50, 40 or 30 home runs, but I can do the little things like moving runners over that don't show up in the box score.
My wife is from Seattle.
I came up as a number 2 hitter. My first year I hit 16 homers, and I was like, Whoa, I'm rollin'!
I'm really not comfortable doing interviews in a group, in press conferences. One-on-one, I'm all right, but those press conferences at the All-Star Game, I just don't... I feel better when I'm by myself.
Athletes are going to tease each other. Football players want to be baseball players. Baseball players want to be football players. Basketball players want to be baseball players, and vice versa.
I never want to be satisfied.
It seemed like my father and I were always fighting. I know a lot of kids go through that with their families, but it was hard for me.
I think I owe it to the people of Seattle, and myself, to retire as a Mariner.
I'm not some person who wants to be treated as a superstar and won't go out and help the team.
I put up O.K. numbers - not Bugs Bunny-style numbers like some other guys - but O.K. numbers.
My dad hit 152 home runs and that's the person I wanted to be like. My hero growing up.
I won't be upset if I don't win a ring, because I gave it my all.
If you hit .200 and you win or .300 and you win, it's all the same. Just so you win.
I want to be the best player I can be.
I've always wanted to be on a winning team, be competitive and have something to shoot for in October. It's never been a money situation.
I just mind my business and do what I have to do to get ready for the baseball season.
All my life in professional baseball, people said 'He could be better.'
There's certain people that you owe it to, for the things they've done for you.
I know if I do something wrong, it's going to be all over the news.
My dad wasn't a power hitter, and I didn't think I'd be a power hitter because the person I wanted to be like was him, and he was the one that taught me to play the game.
We teach our kids to be fair and things like that and if you make a mistake you apologize for it.
I've always been an Earnhardt family fan.
That's the best thing about playing defense. I get to see somebody else but myself get mad.
I've been swinging the same way since I was born. It's always worked.
I get a little tired of people telling me what might have been. I think I've done OK. I don't dwell on what might have been.
That's not what I want to be known as - a guy who doesn't want to play and is moody.
I'm not a player who beats his own drum.
To win a World Series, the whole team has to be hot, everything has to go your way.
I grew up in baseball, so I know how hard it is to not have a dad around to see sporting events and stuff like that.
I like to see my name in the box score.
Hard work doesn't start during the game. Hard work starts the night before.
You're on an island when you're injured. Nobody understands what you're going through. And everybody's different. Some people heal quicker than others.
I go out there every day, take early batting practice, fly balls.
Father and son games - that was the best day. We'd be dressed at 6 o'clock in the morning. The game would be at 7 o'clock at night... And we'd play at, like, 5.
You can't sensationalize a story that is a heartfelt story.
Anybody can be a dad. I just want to be a good parent. I want to be a dad that my kids can talk to. I want to have a relationship with them.
You play the game a certain way, and people think your personality off the field should be just as electrifying. That's not the case.
Nobody wants to win a game on a bad call.
If baseball was all year round, I'd play all year round.
I can't help it if I make things look easy that some people think are difficult.
Playing in the big leagues while my father is still active is the biggest thrill of my life. I try to see him play whenever I can.
I got to play with my dad. I got to go to work with him. That's the biggest thing that ever happened to me other than the days my kids were born. That's bigger than any record I'll ever set.
It doesn't bother me that I didn't get all the recognition. It really doesn't. I tried to keep things as honest as possible. People will either appreciate it over the years or they won't.
Everyone should live where they want.
No one is perfect. Your ERA is not zero. You're not going to have 30 wins. And your batting average isn't going to be 1.000. So you don't have the right to verbally talk out about somebody. Look at yourself. Did you do everything you could do? Did you start your day off right? Are you perfect?
