It's very tough for a ballplayer to get proud and keep his dignity.
The more that Japanese players go to the big leagues to play and succeed, the more that will serve to inspire young kids in Japan to want to become baseball players when they grow up.
We have to connect to our fans through the media, and when you talk about that, it's got to come from your heart. And when it comes from your heart, it has to be absolutely consistent. There's a big risk you take without an interpreter because, as professional baseball players, we are here to perform baseball, not to learn a language.
Chicks who dig home runs aren't the ones who appeal to me.
There's not much difference between love and hate.
I feel like I should be more in touch with the nuances of this game.
When I'm being interviewed, presumably it's because people want to know how I feel about something or what my motivation is, not because they want to hear what I sound like in English. I wouldn't be true to the task if I responded in my unrefined English.
I think there's sexiness in infield hits because they require technique.
If I'm in a slump, I ask myself for advice.
