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"Always follow your dreams, don't let anyone tell you, you can't be something."
"Be respectful. Treat people the way you want to be treated. I think young people want respect badly. Respect the lowest rank and the highest rank and you'll never get into trouble."
"David Segui told me he would trade me his Porsche for my black book because I am seeing someone now. I told him no deal, it's worth more than a Porsche."
"Fielding is 100 percent concentration. You really have to concentrate from the time the pitcher releases the ball to when contact is made. Always be aggressive."
"Hard work does not guarantee success, but without it you don't have a chance."
"I do my best hitting when I'm walking. That means I'm relaxed and my pitch recognition is a lot better."
"I don't care if people like me or not. Respect is more important."
"I don't expect people to feel sorry for me. My teammates get more upset about the criticism and booing than I do."
"I'd rather have the Gold Glove than a silver bat. Defense is so much more of a team game and one of my goals this year was to make fewer than 25 errors."
"I feel like I'm getting close. I like playing at the Stadium. I like hitting at the Stadium."
"If my team could win and I hit .240, I wouldn't care. The only thing I want to do is win. That's what I play the game for."
"I hate the word 'potential'-potential means you haven't gotten it done."
"I have incredible motivation to go out and improve every day."
"I like to score and drive in runs more than pay attention to batting average."
"I love the work involved. My goal right now is to have a season next year that will make people forget about this one. I'll use things like this for motivation. I'm hungry."
"I'm not impulsive at all--except about buying clothes. That's my biggest weakness."
"I need to make more contact. I struck out more than 100 times. I can cut down my errors and I'd like to steal 30-40 bags. I made a lot of dumb baserunning mistakes this year."
"I only look forward. I can't get all caught up in what I've done. I still have plenty to accomplish in the game. Hopefully, I'm just scratching the surface."
It actually reached the point of being so ridiculous that I just had to laugh. It's like if you show up at work one day with a red shirt, and I go, 'Man, that's an ugly shirt.' And the next day you wear a blue shirt, and I go, 'Man, that's an ugly shirt.' And the next day, yellow shirt, same thing. And on and on, every day. At some point you understand it's not really about the shirts. And it becomes easy to dismiss the criticism." - On heckling and criticism from Yankee fans
"It's important for me to play well down the stretch for this team-and in October."
"I've been Michael Jordan in Latin countries for years. I know what I mean to all Latinos and what this game means to them. Baseball is in their blood."
"I've done a lot of special things in this game, and for none of that to be considered clutch, it's an injustice."
"I want to be known as Dominican-that's what I am, 100 percent ... I have a duty and responsibility to continue the legacy of Dominicans in baseball."
"I want to be the best, and the best work. You have to earn what you get, and you have to work to keep it."
"I want to build a positive image that will last my career."
"I want to step forward. I don't want to step on anyone's toes doing it. If I do... too bad."
"I was one of those guys who really enjoyed homework. Sometimes I got kidded by my teammates. But I think kids should really participate in school and always have their homework done."
"Maintain good balance at the plate and limit movement in your head."
"My mother's the most special person in my life ... I consider her my MVP: Most Valuable Parent."
"Not one day goes by when I don't remind myself of how grateful I am for those who came before me over the last 25 years. When I see players like Mike Schmidt and Johnny Bench, I thank them."
"Our family teetered financially for six months after dad left. Mom took a second job as a waitress to keep our rented home and food on the table. Mom deserves the Oscar for acting as if we had plenty of money. Mom's perseverance and inner strength kept us together."
"Playing sports became my dream. I turned into a baseball freak when I was eight. If I saw a favorite player using a black bat, I'd spend hours using shoe polish and a felt pen to turn mine black too. Without question the player I looked up to most was Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. I wanted to play shortstop. Mostly, though, I just wanted to play."
"Some things were meant to be and if it was you will know it."
"Stay away from drugs and alcohol and all that. Make school a priority. Don't overlook academics."
"There is a difference between image and reputation. Image is nice. Reputation is developed over an entire career. Reputation is what I'm searching for."
"There's no place like New York. And I found out that until you go through it for a season, you really don't know it."
"This is how I define grace: you are on the main stage and it looks like it has been rehearsed 100 times, everything goes smoothly. That's where I get my confidence and success; from knowing that I have an edge because I know I am prepared. You aren't scared of taking a test when you are ready for it. My first couple of years, I was just kind of swimming, trying not to drown but now..."
"This whole year has been a learning experience. There are still a lot of areas in which I think I can improve."
"We have a responsibility not just as athletes but as members of society to treat people well, to do things the right way."
"What I learned from Cal, is to respect the game, respect the fans. Nothing fancy out there. Just do your job."
"Whether I hit .260 or .320, the bottom line here is to win."
"Why do people sing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' if they're already there?"
"You always dream about being on a baseball card. It's kind of funny when you finally see it."
"You can have fun, respect the game and also play it hard. When you have that combination, you're going to put yourself in a position to be successful."
"You can never be perfect in this game. Until you hit 1.000 and make no errors, you can always improve."
"You can take my cars or my house, but don't mess with my clothes."
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