“Everybody expected me to do this. I expected me to do this.”

“When you go to home plate with a lot of confidence, you feel that you can hit any pitch.”

“I have to get better, but I can’t change the way I play.”

“I want to be consistent from the first day of the season to the last.”

“I love hitting—that’s my favorite part of the game.”

“I don’t like to play slow or softly. I like to play hard. Always.”

“I’m confident, but not so confident that I’m cocky.”

“I’m not perfect. Nobody’s perfect. But I love baseball and I love to play hard.”

“I’m not a rookie anymore—no more excuses about being young.”

“2004 has to be my year. No more excuses.””