I've always been very cautious with what I do. You know, that started at a young age. I always had the approach or the mentality I never wanted to embarrass my parents.
I think there's something wrong with me - I like to win in everything I do, regardless of what it is. You want to race down the street, I want to beat you. If we're playing checkers, I want to win. You beat me, it's going to bother me. I just enjoy competition.
What kind of influence did my parents have on my life? Well, they had the most influence. These are the people who are closest to me. My parents are very positive people. They've been supportive. They're always there.
I'm a New Yorker now, and believe me, there's no comparison between the Big Apple and Kalamazoo, no similarity at all. New York City's hectic, always in fast-forward, and Kalamazoo's more laid-back, smaller, slower.
Sometimes people complicate things by thinking too much about what someone might think of what they said or did.
When it was time for parent-teacher conferences, I remember that I was always embarrassed about what my parents would hear about me!
I always used to get in trouble for talking too much. When it was time for parent-teacher conferences, I remember that I was always embarrassed about what my parents would hear about me!
The draft is a crapshoot, so I've been very fortunate to be drafted by the Yankees, and to have spent my whole career here.
You can't be sensitive, because you're going to get criticized. I don't care who you are, you're going to get criticized.
I wish I trusted people more. But when I meet someone, the first thing is, 'What does this person want?' And I put up a defense mechanism. But I've always been that way.
There's feelings there, but I think I've just been pretty good at trying to hide my emotions throughout the years. I try to have the same demeanor each and every day.
I think when things linger, that's when they become a distraction. I don't want any distractions.
I've been playing baseball since I was 5 or 6 years old. I've been on a schedule, pretty much, since I was in eighth, ninth grade. I look forward to not doing that.
I have feelings. I'm not emotionally stunted.
When I was younger, I was always taught not to make excuses.
The Yankees have strict rules. You can have a mustache but no other facial hair.
I think, a lot of times, players get in trouble when they're asked questions and they think they have to find a way to answer it. If you ask me a question and I say, 'I don't know,' there's really no follow-up.
I've been asked to sign a forehead.
When you put a lot of hard work into one goal and you achieve it, that's a really good feeling.
You're playing a game, whether it's Little League or Game 7 of the Word Series. It's impossible to do well unless you're having a good time. People talk about pressure. Yeah, there's pressure. But I just look at it as fun.
