You know my dad pushed me to believe that I was going to be the best. I just never thought of life without tennis, even looking forward.

Baseball is a man maker.

I would like to be called an inspiration to people, not a role model – because I make mistakes like everybody else. When I’m offstage, I’m just like everybody else.

As far as control and stuff is concerned, I never had any more in my life than for that All-Star game in 1934.

I shoot, I score. He shoots, I score.

My career spanned the era when relievers started to become more important.

The doctors x-rayed my head and found nothing.

The more I practice, the luckier I get.

This is a game. That’s all it is. It’s not a war.

I enjoy playing the game. It’s hard for me to just watch it, even while broadcasting.

I came from a broken home, so my mom was a major influence in my life.

I just want to conquer people and their souls.

I’m a Muslim, but I think Jesus would have a drink with me. He would be cool. He would talk to me.

It is something that most parents hope for in life: That their children will be moderately successful, polite, decent human beings. Anything on top of that is something you have no right to hope for,...

As a youngster, I played in Little League, Pony League, and all sorts of amateur baseball programs growing up.

The only bond worth anything between human beings is their humanness.

I think the tougher the challenge the better.

Americans are big boys. You can talk them into almost anything. Just sit with them for half an hour over a bottle of whiskey and be a nice guy.

It helps if the hitter thinks you’re a little crazy.

The owner of the New York Yankees, Mr. George Steinbrenner who I had the greatest respect for, I want to thank him for giving me the opportunity to win that special ring in 1996.

We’re all fascinated by the numbers, as we were about the 100 points.

The way those clubs shift against Ted Williams, I can’t understand how he can be so stupid not to accept the challenge to him and hit to left field.

There’s a lot of room to grow, and the women who believe they’re worth it are the ones who are going to make good things happen during the next period of WNBA growth.

Right is right and wrong is wrong.

Lindsay Davenport was saying 12 months ago that this might be her last Wimbledon, but things have completely changed because she’s healthy.

A catcher must want to catch. He must make up his mind that it isn’t the terrible job it is painted, and that he isn’t going to say every day, ‘Why, oh why with so...

If we get in an accident that’s strong enough to break bones, it’s going to break bones. What makes me a little bit higher risk is that if I break my right ankle again, I’ve...

I did not have implants, I just had a growth spurt.

No matter what accomplishments you achieve, somebody helps you.

A pitcher will never be a big winner until he hates hitters.

You aren’t going to stick around long with just two pitches.

I was blessed with a strong arm and a weak mind.

Out of the water, I am nothing.

Through the years of experience I have found that air offers less resistance than dirt.

When I was in college there was a girls’ flag football league. The girls were extremely aggressive.

Right up until the time I retired at age 37, I felt like there were still things that I could do better.

Everybody’s got plans… until they get hit.

Our money is bait money, and bait money is not to be used.

We played before 92,000 at the final.

I set very high standards for myself and worked every game with the same energy and enthusiasm as if it were the seventh game of a World Series.

Every day after I wake up, I think, ‘Wait… this can’t be real; I’m still going to wake up.’

There is hard hitting, but the hitting is not nearly as hard as it used to be.

South Vietnam had to be built from scratch and, from the very beginning, depended far too much on the Western superpowers. As in the case of a person on public welfare, this dependency, which became...

Dick Moss, my agent. Dick became my agent in 1979 when I signed my contract with the Houston Astros.

When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble too difficult to overcome.

You can’t get real happy or real depressed when you play baseball. Baseball is a great sport in that it offers a player a lot of opportunities for atonement.

The base paths belonged to me, the runner. The rules gave me the right. I always went into a bag full speed, feet first. I had sharp spikes on my shoes. If the baseman stood...

Giving life to music through skating was something I wanted to be known for.

Athletes who take to the classroom naturally or are encouraged to focus on grades should be able to do well in the classroom. I believe the reason you go to college is to get your...

It would be useless for any player to attempt to explain successful batting.