We had a lot of different personalities. Hoak was the straw boss. He just would not quit.
— Vernon Law
We just had a bunch of guys who liked each other, and we worked well together and sacrificed to win ball games. It was a real team effort.
I said, 'Maz, if I hadn't screwed up that Game 7, you wouldn't be in the Hall of Fame.'
At 87, I have to keep moving because, if I sit down, you never know what might happen.
I liked Jackie as an individual. I felt bad about how he was treated. He's a better man than me by far.
It was a crazy series, 1960. The Yankees were predicted to beat us four straight. And on paper, we couldn't match them because they had better players. But we also had twenty-five guys that wanted to win, and we did everything we could to win.
They couldn't sign me until after I graduated, but right after graduation day, I had nine different organizations there wanting to sign me.
I never chased around with the opposition or got too well acquainted with them, because when the time in the ballgame came up where I had to pitch inside, I didn't want to hesitate.
Some people are so busy learning the tricks of the trade that they never learn the trade.
I haven't got enough sense not to pitch.
I knew I needed to keep my nose clean and set the right example.
I had to go out and give my team a chance. I didn't want to be remembered as the guy blowing the World Series.
I could not have taken what he took, sliding into second base and having a guy stand over you and spit on you, call you every name in the book. Believe me, for him not to respond, to ignore it and not retaliate, you can't say enough good about Jackie.
We played on a sandlot all summer. There was no little league back then.
You sign a contract, and you abide by the contract. And sometimes my turn would come around on Sunday. Even though I didn't like to play baseball on Sunday, it was my job.
Nice people around Pittsburgh.
I played against a lot of guys, a lot of good players, and I remember those guys. They're friends now. They weren't then. You wanted to beat them.
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.
Today, you hit .230, and you get a million and a half and think you're underpaid.
I wanted to be successful enough that I'd have opportunities to talk about the church. I wanted people to listen whenever I talked about it.
I wouldn't trade my life with anybody else. I played during the golden day of baseball, back when it was a game and when it was fun.
I have nothing but all the respect in the world for Jackie Robinson.
That's what I think most players want to be remembered as, being a good competitor. Not being a guy who makes excuses. There are a lot of guys who make an excuse before the game why they're not going to win. And those guys are losers.
Our whole family had been sports oriented. My dad had played a lot of semipro but never had any opportunity to do anything with it. Back then, he had to make a living.
Sometimes you're going to be shoved into a corner, and even though it's against your principles, against the way that you like to play the game, you're going to have to protect your own players.
I got the nickname 'Deacon' because I didn't swear, didn't drink, went to church, and did quite a bit of speaking in other churches, youth groups, and so forth.
