It’s always big to take the lead. You send a message right away that we’re ready to play.

In Washington, you thought I was probably pushing a little bit. Sometimes you’re going to push. Like my dad was telling me: You’re going to drive in a lot, and you’re going to leave a...

It’s never over until you make 27 outs.

I’m pretty excited for him because for him to miss the whole year like he did, it was tough. He’s a tough, strong guy and he wanted to help us out last year. But you...

Can we pull a miracle? What do you think? Of course we can.

I know I have a chance to get better.

I don’t look at numbers. I don’t know. I didn’t know anything about it until you guys (reporters) just brought it up. That’s not me. I get locked in on seeing the ball and helping...

It couldn’t be better than this. It gives us the edge to go back to St Louis, but you still have to win two games.

It’s exciting having our people yelling. It takes me back to when I was playing down in the Dominican in Little League, having my parents and my friends yelling. It’s great.

It’s not like you’re going to be gone for two months.

Those guys had great years, either of them could have won the award. You couldn’t go wrong with any of those guys.

Well, we don’t think about last year, … This is this year and we can’t take things for granted. We have to go to St. Louis and play our best baseball. Last year is over...

They pitched well. You look at our lineup, it’s not (easy) to pitch that well … but that’s the way it goes.

He’s come a long way. That’s why he’s one of the best out there. He’s No. 3 right now, but I’m pretty sure that someday he is going to shoot for that No. 1 record...

I was [ticked] off. I’m human. I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have taken it to that level. I have too much respect for the game.

He’s a gamer and he wants to win. Him and Larry, that’s why those guys are pushing and that’s why Larry is playing.

It wasn’t the seventh game of the World Series,

It’s a good win for us. I’m glad that I was able to help my team out to win today. You don’t want to try to do too much, get a good pitch to hit...

I think that if you get caught the third time, I mean that’s real bad, you should get abandoned from the game. You shouldn’t be able to be caught the third time because after the...

It’s been pretty tough the last week. I’m dealing with it. It has been getting worse as the game goes on. It was pretty tough today because we had a day game after a night...

All the teams are going to be good. Look at Venezuela. Look at the pitching staff they’re going to have: Freddy Garcia, Johan Santana . ‘ . ‘ . whoa.

It’s in the past. We have to win two more games.

It’s amazing. There were a lot of Latin people. I think you guys have a good taste of how crazy they are in the Dominican. They appreciate that. This is real big for our country...

This is something I can do for my country. Definitely, I want to participate in this. It’s big for me and I’m pretty sure that’s the same way a lot of guys look at it.

Marry Me Albert.

Hit the train for a million dollars.

I try to be patient at the plate and draw my walks like I did with runners at first and second. We got four runs in that inning. That’s the key. If I’d tried to...

A lot of the fans and even the players, they missed Barry, … I wished he would have been healthy and played.

I probably shouldn’t bring it down to that level like I did last week, but I showed today that that’s not the way I play the game. At the same time, I need to respect...

If I was an umpire I would tell you so. Maybe the pitch was good, but he didn’t call it, so I don’t have anything to say about that.

I know it’s tough to come back from 3-1. But other teams have done it. We have the talent to do it, too.

It’s awesome, but we got the win, and that’s more important to me. All the credit today should go to Jason Marquis.

Those guys had great years,

We had to get a win for him to celebrate. I’m very sure before he retires he’s going to shoot for that No. 1 record, because he always wants to be on top.

It’s amazing, … I don’t think about the last four years. All I’m thinking about is today. Going into spring training, you don’t try to win the MVP. All you’re going to do is help...

It’s the best hit of my career, … But it’s what you do tomorrow. I don’t look at the past, I don’t even want to talk anymore about it.

Our job is trying to get ready for the season, but we want to win this tournament and represent our country well.

This award is great. I wish I could trade it for the championship ring the White Sox are getting next year.

I just wanted to know what he said. When I came into the dugout they told me he wasn’t trying to do it on purpose. I know that. I know that’s the last thing you...

All I felt was me running, … I would say it was the best base hit I ever got in my career. It doesn’t get any better.

That’s why I keep telling you guys, you need to learn, until you have made 27 outs, the game isn’t over.

It’s awesome when you hear people compare yourself with Barry,

Hopefully everybody starts swinging the bats better. Our bats are not where we want them right now. Half of the team is not hitting that good, but we’re finding ways to win some games —...

When you get in a groove like that, you’re locked in. When you’re seeing the ball the way I am right now, you trust your hands and just use the whole ballpark.

I was praying, ‘just give me the strength, Lord, to … hopefully come through for my teammates,

[Perez] got in and out of trouble. We just didn’t get the big hit we needed at the right time.

The last four years, I finished in the top five. This was my year. It’s exciting. It’s a great honor.

There’s no need for me to put pressure on myself or try to chase a ball out of the strike zone. If I take the walk, I know he’s going to drive me in like...

You don’t play to win the division, you play to win championship rings, … How many division titles does this team have? … We don’t care about that. It doesn’t matter what record we have....

It is a great honor to be here. I want to thank Hank Aaron for the intensity he has for this game and for this award. … It is one of the greatest awards I...