Athlete

When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me, and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day.

I never like to think about going back; I only look forward.

Winners live in the present tense. People who come up short are consumed with future or past. I want to be living in the now.

When I entered the pros, I was a young kid in the major leagues. I was 18 years old, right out of high school. I thought I knew everything, and I clearly didn't.

No athlete ever ends his or her career the way you want to. We all want to play forever. But it doesn't work that way. Accepting the end gracefully is part of being a professional athlete.

I had a great year and left my guts out on the field.

I just want to be able to communicate with my fan base.

I'm very thankful to the Yankees and to Major League Baseball for allowing me to play this game.

I have a big scar in my thigh from a dog bite by my German shepherd. His name was Ripper. He was trying to get in a fight with another dog, and I tried to break it up, and he got me pretty good.

I had the greatest year of my career in 2007. It's a year that I'm very proud of.

I just don't see the light. Where is the light? What am I in this for?

I've never felt overmatched on the baseball field. I've always been a very strong, dominant position.

There's absolutely no comparisons to me or anyone else to Willie Mays. Willie Mays, he's the greatest baseball player of all time.

What I found is that experience in the World Series made me connect more with the fans.

The births of my two daughters were the two greatest moments of my life.

In baseball 30 days is an eternity.

I love New York.

Eventually, my W-2 income will wind down, and my investments can actually make that up.

I'm guilty for a lot of things.

I just hope that as I get older, I calm down and enjoy the moment, enjoy the great gifts that God has given me.